"Really inappropriate conduct" - dancers suing Lizzo ready to go to trial, lawyer says

Record ID: 1736708

  • Title: "Really inappropriate conduct" - dancers suing Lizzo ready to go to trial, lawyer says
  • Date: 3rd August 2023
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 3, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEAMA RAHMANI, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS, THE FIRM REPRESENTING THE PLAINTIFFS, SAYING: "Unfortunately, having practiced here in Los Angeles and Hollywood for more than two decades now, I can tell you that rich and powerful entertainers can sometimes treat people unfairly and unlawfully. And it started with the #MeToo movement. It doesn't matter if it's a rich and powerful man, sometimes it's a rich and powerful woman, and they think that the law doesn't apply to them because of who they are or because of their fame and stature. And these laws are intended to protect the little guy or the little girl from really a disparity in power. And that's what sexual harassment is intended to protect." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEAMA RAHMANI, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS, THE FIRM REPRESENTING THE PLAINTIFFS, SAYING: "They're not worried. Before we even filed this lawsuit, I told them of the very high likelihood that Lizzo would deny these allegations and the case would go all the way to trial. And I wanted to make sure that they were prepared for that real possibility. I mean, here's someone that has a lot of fans and a media following, the case has obviously gotten a lot of media attention and they would be subject to that attention. So I really wanted to prepare them for the very real possibility that we would have to go the entire way. And they were all willing to do so because this isn't the type of case that you're going to send a demand letter and expect a quick resolution. We're going to have to litigate and we're prepared to do so and prove our case. We're not asking for any type of quick settlement or a hand up." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEAMA RAHMANI, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS, THE FIRM REPRESENTING THE PLAINTIFFS, SAYING **CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE**: "I was shocked. I've seen and heard a lot. I was a prosecutor for many years. I've put more than a thousand people in prison and I've never seen any allegations like this. When you're talking about vaginas and dildos and bananas, and dildos and bananas in vaginas and an employee is being asked to eat the banana, and another employee, a male employee getting naked and being whipped by one of the performers. So really inappropriate conduct. And we intend to prove that it happened. And really no one should be subject to it in any workplace environment. I was shocked." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEAMA RAHMANI, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS, THE FIRM REPRESENTING THE PLAINTIFFS, SAYING: "The next step in the case will be a responsive pleading by Lizzo's team. I expect them to file an answer denying these allegations based on her public statements and that of her lawyer. And then we begin the discovery process. Discovery really has two elements. The first is written discovery, so those are interrogatories, requests for admission, document requests where the parties exchange questions that have to be answered under oath, under penalty of perjury. And then there's depositions which are recorded interviews under oath, with a court reporter present and a penalty of perjury. And then we set the case for trial. And there's going to be twelve jurors here in Los Angeles County that are going to decide, you know, who's credible, who's telling the truth, and if our clients were indeed telling the truth, what an appropriate item of damages are. So that's really where the rubber hits the road and where our clients are going to be able to tell their story in a very public way, and they're excited to do so."
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2023 22:35
  • Keywords: Lizzo dancers hostile environment lawsuit
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music,North America
  • Reuters ID: LVA009213803082023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: CONTAINS SEXUAL LANGUAGE AND DESCRIPTION IN SHOT 14
    The head of the law firm representing three dancers suing Grammy-winning singer Lizzo said on Thursday (August 3) that the women were ready to go to trial and excited to tell their story.
    The dancers filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging harassment based on sex, religion, race and disability. The singer created a hostile work environment by engaging in denigrating behavior and body-shaming, the lawsuit says.
    Lizzo denied the claims, calling the accusations "false" and "outrageous."
    “This case could have gone in any of two directions: that Lizzo had apologized and come clean and tried to make amends and maybe there would be some sort of resolution. But now that she's dug her heels in and she's denying that any of this happened, we are happy to present our case to a jury of our peers," said Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Employment Lawyers, the law firm representing the dancers.
    The singer, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, said the allegations were made by three former employees who had been told their behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional before they left Lizzo's employment.
    The plaintiffs - Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez - claimed they were coerced into touching nude performers at an Amsterdam strip club in late February.
    Rahmani said he was shocked when he heard the womens’ stories.
    “Really inappropriate conduct. And we intend to prove that it happened. And really no one should be subject to it in any workplace environment. I was shocked," he said.
    (Production: Jane Ross)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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