Lizzo‘s sexual harassment case proceeds as the judge refuses the singer’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.
On Friday, a Los Angeles judge rejected Lizzo’s attempt to dismiss a significant sexual harassment lawsuit filed by three of her former backup dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez. While some specific allegations were dismissed, the case, as a whole, will continue to progress toward a trial.
In response to allegations of harassment and discrimination, Lizzo contended last year that the case should be dismissed under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, a unique legal provision designed to expedite the dismissal of baseless lawsuits that pose a threat to free speech, commonly referred to as “strategic lawsuits against public participation” (SLAPP). Her legal team argued that the plaintiffs were utilizing the lawsuit as a means to stifle her voice.
Nonetheless, Judge Mark H. Epstein determined that the anti-SLAPP statute was not applicable to the situation at hand.
“It is dangerous for the court to weigh in, ham-fisted, into constitutionally protected activity,” the judge wrote. “But it is equally dangerous to turn a blind eye to allegations of discrimination or other forms of misconduct merely because they take place in a speech-related environment.”
The judge’s ruling aligns with an opposition filing submitted by the dancers’ legal team in November, where they argued that the anti-SLAPP statutes should not shield Lizzo from potential legal consequences regarding the allegations made against her.
The lawsuit, which includes Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, and her dance captain Shirlene Quigley as defendants, was initially filed in August. Among the accusations, the plaintiffs contend that Lizzo singled out one dancer for weight gain and subsequently scolded and terminated that individual after they recorded a meeting due to a health condition.
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