Recently, some fans of Queen Bey wondered if Beyoncé was backing away from her pal Lizzo while the “About Damn Time” singer is going through some tough times. Well, in a new video, it would appear that Beyoncé has her friend’s back.
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Lizzo, as many music fans know, is currently facing a lawsuit brought to her by three of her former dancers. They are accusing the “Grrrls” singer, who rose to fame in part because of her empowering message about body positivity and equality, of sexual harassment and verbal abuse. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, also alleges that the artist called attention to the weight gain of a dancer, who was later fired, according to the report.
In a show in Atlanta on Monday (August 14), Beyoncé shouted out the flute-playing Lizzo in her hit song, “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix,” saying, “I love you, Lizzo!” The public proclamation came a few days after Beyoncé seemingly left out Lizzo in a past live performance during the same breakdown in the song.
For her part, Lizzo has denied any wrongdoing, writing on social media, “Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
In the wake of the allegations, Lizzo has hired high-profile attorney Marty Singer, who has represented the likes of Bill Cosby, Jonah Hill, Chris Brown, and Johnny Depp in prior cases. Lizzo, who recently had work featured in the hit new billion-dollar Barbie movie, said she is “hurt” by the accusations.
“These last few days have been gut-wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing,” read the social media statement from Lizzo. “My work ethic, morals, and respectfulness have been questioned.
She continued, “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. As an artist, I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day. I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans. With passion comes hard, work and high standards.”
Lizzo said she’s been tough but has never meant to hurt anyone.
“Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable, or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team,” added Lizzo in her statement. She also said that she is not trying to be “looked at as a victim” but also said she is not the “villain” that she has been portrayed as in the media in the days following the lawsuit.
“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world,” concluded Lizzo. “I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis, and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
See Beyoncé shout out Lizzo below.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
