Lizzo Did What?!

All the rumors are true…allegedly.

OK, so as a devout womanist, I struggled with whether to even write this. Yes, I realize women aren’t always the angels roaming the earth we were created to be. Nevertheless, I never aim to needlessly tear another woman down.

I’m not just a fan of Lizzo but a fan of what she represents: a gorgeous woman who overcame mainstream beauty standards to become one of the most successful pop singers of our time. Pop music has never been kind to Black women and is also usually equally unkind to big women, so seeing a woman dominate this genre while proudly and defiantly owning her “imperfections” fills me with joy.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m honestly not the biggest fan of her music or antics. While I definitely raise the volume as soon as I hear, “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that b****,” only a few other songs from her catalog have made it to my personal playlist. And while I do have high hopes for her music in the future, I’ve also accepted that her style may not be for me.

I mean, in theory, she and Cardi’s “Rumors” would’ve dominated the charts for months, and the fact that the single hardly made any noise was a significant sign that it might be time for her to hit the rebrand button and work with some new writers. This single was intended to be salacious and create a buzz, but even with racy lyrics like “No, I didn’t f*** Drake…yet,” nobody seemed to care.

Either way, I do believe she’s very talented and deserves her success thus far.

That’s the good news. But clearly, it’s not why we’re here…

Are the rumors true?

In case you haven’t yet heard, Lizzo is being sued by at least two former backup dancers who allege the singer sexually harassed them, body-shamed them, and created a hostile work environment.

Chile, what?!

OK, first of all, I want to be clear that these are just allegations so far. And as someone who regularly sees people still defending the likes of R. Kelly, I just know most of you will give her the same benefit of the doubt and grace you’ve been providing male entertainers since the beginning of time.

Also, given that this is a civil suit and money grabs are very real in the entertainment industry, I do think it’s possible that they could be disgruntled ex-workers seeking a payday.

At the same time, though, I have to say that I genuinely hope these “rumors” aren’t true.

Before I go any further, I need to point out how remarkably hypocritical it would be for a woman who preaches body positivity and has had several public breakdowns over being bullied and fat-shamed on the internet. To turn around and inflict those same scars on those who work for you sounds like peak narcissism. Granted, I’m no expert.

I’ve also pointed out several times how most artists are vastly different people than who they portray themselves to be in public. Here’s one example of that:

I saw the sign

On the other hand, although I champion Lizzo’s body-positive message, I’ve always felt it was disingenuous. I mean, she does a great job of keeping up with appearances and at least making it seem as though she genuinely embraces her body as it is. But the many public breakdowns and over-the-top antics over the years have always made me feel like she’s faking it.

Also, there’s nothing wrong with being on a weight loss journey; in fact, I applaud her for her progress, but it’s another indication that Lizzo may not be that happy in the skin she’s in.

Personally, I jumped off the “defend Lizzo” train somewhere around the time she went to that NBA game and literally showed her whole entire a**.

Watch the video here:

This was when it clicked that part of her brand was sheer shock value. I wouldn’t want to see a woman (or man) of any size wear this to a public family event. The most troubling part about this case is that Lizzo wasn’t even performing. She just took it upon herself to turn around and give the world a glimpse of her full moon because they showed her a little love and allowed her to create a moment by playing her song “Juice” (which is actually one of my faves by her…go figure!).

This video pissed me off because all I could think of was how angry I’d be if I was there with small children to see a game and instead ended up having to explain the large lady with the holy shirt and thong.

Mind you; the shirt dress was hideous. Like, I love a “Freak ’em dress” as much as the next woman, but this design is lackluster and literally looked like she threw on a t-shirt and cut a hole out of the butt part to show more skin. I could see this being OK for the beach or strip club, but definitely not a family event where no one even paid to see her perform.

Either way, to me, this was a clear sign that Lizzo had trouble respecting boundaries and had begun relying on these raunchy antics to carry her career. It’s one thing to do these types of things at her own shows, but it’s quite another to insert yourself amid a sporting event considered family entertainment.

Say it ain’t so, Lizzo

Not to give her an excuse or imply that these allegations are true, but antics such as the ones detailed above made me sad for Lizzo. It seems that deep down, she just wants attention and is going about it in the wrong way.

Also, I think her over-sexualization partially results from living in a society where women, especially brown-skinned ones, are never embraced solely for their talents and have to go the extra mile to stay relevant in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, sometimes some people are so dehumanized that they start to inflict that same treatment on others.

I spoke in more detail about why this happens here:

So, while I do hope these allegations prove to be false, I wouldn’t be totally surprised if they are determined to be true. And while I do think women create such work environments far less than their male counterparts, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Lizzo would not be the only one that has done such things. If these allegations are proven to be credible, it could lead to more lawsuits, investigations, and even convictions for women of power in our society.

At the same time, I also think there’s something to be said for those who endure those environments for months or even years and suddenly start “speaking out” about the abuse. Sure, it could just be a situation where you finally reach your breaking point. But in a world where these situations easily translate into stacks of money, it’s always possible that people stick around long enough to make a case to cash out. To those attempting to climb the ranks of the industry, I strongly urge you to do your research before signing these contracts and always read the fine print.

Also, to be brutally clear, I’m not defending Lizzo. It’s entirely possible that she’s the same brand of sexually depraved narcissist as many of the men in the industry have already been proven to be. If you’ve never heard the various rumors about the dark, twisted things that happen behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, consider yourself lucky. At any rate, those who inflict torture, harassment, and other behaviors on others simply because they have the power to do so are horrible people. Full stop.

This is a wait-and-see for me

Personally, I’m just going to wait until the rest of the facts come out before fully deciding how I feel about them and Lizzo’s brand. But as far as her future is concerned, whether this is true or not, she might want to take some time to get some mental health help, rebrand, and hire a professional to help her create a safe work environment for all her employees moving forward.

No matter what she’s been through in the past, it’s officially time for her to do the work in terms of fully owning who she is and embracing the empowering role she’s been given as a pop cultural icon.

How do you feel about the Lizzo allegations?

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