American singer, Lizzo has been dropped from Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show consideration after facing a series of shocking sexual harassment and fat-shaming allegations from former dancers.
Earlier this month, three of Lizzo’s former dancers, Crystal Williams, Noelle Rodriguez, and Arianna Davis, filed a lawsuit against her, accusing the singer of creating a ‘hostile work environment’.
Now, an NFL insider exclusively has told Mail Only that the ensuing backlash over the allegations has prompted the organization to immediately drop Lizzo from Super Bowl Halftime Show contention – having previously had her name in the mix as one of the front-runners for the 2024 spectacle.
‘Talks of Lizzo being a part of the Halftime festivities, or performing the National Anthem, are dead now that she is surrounded by scandal,’ the source said in the wake of the accusations – which Lizzo vehemently denies.
As Lizzo is removed from the potential line-up at this year’s Super Bowl, which is taking place in Las Vegas in February 2024, her team is facing a desperate struggle to salvage her career and reputation.
A second source close to the singer told the publication that her team is ‘desperately trying to come up with a strategy to save her sinking ship.’
‘It is becoming more and more difficult with more people coming forth accusing her of extremely inappropriate acts,’ the music-industry confidante tells DailyMail.com.
‘Lizzo has raked in a massive amount of money but her minute is pretty much up it seems and no one knows if she will be able to recover from this.
‘If she speaks out, her statements are shredded. If she stays quiet, she is called a coward. Either way, it does not appear at this moment that she can recover from this,’ the source says.
Earlier this week, Attorneys representing three of Lizzo’s former back-up dancers who filed a lawsuit over claims of weight shaming and sexual harassment at work revealed that they now have six other people who have submitted complaints along similar lines.
Ron Zambrano, a lawyer whose practice specializes in employment law and is representing back-up dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez said his firm is now looking into these claims.
Zambrano told NBC News the six new accuses toured with Lizzo, either as back-up dancers or on her Amazon studios show, describing the complaints as centering around an alleged ‘sexually charged environment’ on Lizzo’s tour, and failure to pay employees.
It comes after dancers Davis, Williams and Rodriguez sat down for an interview with Good Morning America last week in which they branded the 35-year-old pop star ‘fat-phobic’ and shared sordid stories from their time touring with their former employer.
‘I know it’s alarming to hear that Lizzo, a plus-size woman who preaches body positivity, would be fat-phobic, essentially. But I want to challenge people to understand that hurt people hurt people,’ Davis said.
Rodriguez meanwhile recounted the moment Lizzo allegedly threatened her, after she told her she wanted to resign because she felt ‘unsafe’ and ‘disrespected’.
‘She basically started to ball up her fists and crack her knuckles, and she was like “You’re so effin lucky right now” as she’s like inching her way towards me.’
Rodriguez then claimed Lizzo’s best friend jumped off the couch and had to physically restrain her.
Davis also teared up while describing the incident when Lizzo allegedly pressured her into touching a nude performer at a sex show in Amsterdam.
‘She started a chant, after I said “no” multiple times,’ Davis said, explaining how Lizzo began to chant her name, “Ari”.
‘I briefly touched the performer and withdrew my hands, and you know, everyone kind of burst into laughter ’cause me of all people they thought it was funny that I was touching this performer.
The dancers also claimed they felt like their job was always on the line.
‘Our jobs are always being threatened. I personally never had job security in this whole – this whole entire time,’ Davis said.
She and Williams were fired, while Rodriguez resigned in what she claims was a response to the pair’s alleged treatment.
In their lawsuit, Davis, Williams and Rodriguez accused the Grammy-winning singer – as well as the Big Grrrl Big Touring and dance team captain Shirlene Quigley – of creating a ‘sexually charged and uncomfortable’ work environment.
The trio claims that, while on a concert trip with the artist to Amsterdam in February 2023, Lizzo invited them for a night out on the town that ended in the city’s Red Light District.
They said in their filing: ‘Things quickly got out of hand. Lizzo began inviting cast members to take turns touching the nude performers, catching dildos launched from the performers’ vaginas, and eating bananas protruding from the performers’ vaginas.’
The dancers added Lizzo allegedly ‘pressured’ and ‘goaded’ Arianna into touching one of the nude performers’ breasts.
In another instance, the plaintiffs claim Lizzo invited the dancers to a club in Paris – but failed to mention that it was a nude cabaret bar. This ‘shocked’ the dancers, who said Lizzo ‘robbed them of the choice not to participate,’ the suit said.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Lizzo has lost more than 120,000 followers on Instagram.
