Lizzo has been hit with an additional lawsuit by a former employee, who’s accused the singer and her team of racial and sexual harassment, disability discrimination, illegal retaliatory termination, and assault.
The plaintiff, wardrobe designer Asra Daniels, filed Thursday (September 21st) in Los Angeles against Lizzo, her wardrobe manager Amanda Nomura, and her tour manager Carlina Gugliotta. Per Rolling Stone, the suit is largely aimed at Nomura, who’s been accused of making “racist and fatphobic comments” towards dancers and referring to “Black women on the tour as ‘dumb,’ ‘useless,’ and ‘fat.’” The suit also details an incident in which Nomura allegedly rolled a heavy clothing rack over Daniels’ foot before shoving her into it, causing injury.
“Nomura expressed that she would ‘kill a bitch if it came down to it’ if anyone threatened her job,” the lawsuit continues. “Lizzo’s management was well aware of this pattern of behavior. Carlina Gugliotta, Lizzo’s Tour Manager even requested Plaintiff to record Nomura without her knowledge, which Plaintiff did not do as it was both unethical and possibly unlawful.”
Daniels claims she endured sexual harassment by being included in a 30-person group chat where people would share “graphic and disturbing images of male genitalia.” “Due to the racist and sexualized work environment, and also the unreasonable physical requirements of the Plaintiff, she suffered constant anxiety and panic attacks,” the lawsuit adds. “She continues to suffer ongoing anxiety and PTSD after the tour; she suffers from migraines and migraine-induced eye twitch and ocular distortions, brain fog, and fatigue.”
In August, three of Lizzo’s former backup dancers — Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez — also filed a lawsuit against the singer and her touring company, alleging sexual harassment and hostile work conditions. Lizzo denied the “outrageous” allegations, writing: “These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”
The filing of the new suit arrives on the same day that the Black Music Action Coalition is supposed to give Lizzo the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award. In a statement to Rolling Stone, Daniels’ attorney Ron Zambrano said “the timing of this award’s announcement stinks of an architected PR stunt by Lizzo’s team aimed at trying to repair the damage done to her brand.” He added that Lizzo “has created a sexualized and racially charged environment on her tours that her management staff sees as condoning such behavior, and so it continues unchecked.”