Lizzo relieved as judge dismisses remaining workplace claims against her company

Lizzo speaks after court dismisses remaining claims against her production company

US singer Lizzo said she felt “relieved” after a US district judge dismissed the remaining claims in a lawsuit brought by her former wardrobe assistant, Asha Daniels, while confirming that the suit against Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc remains closed on those counts. The ruling, issued by District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, found that Daniels did not identify conduct showing a general hostility to women or disparate treatment based on sex, and characterized the alleged incidents as falling within the ordinary tribulations of the workplace.

Judge Aenlle-Rocha had earlier ruled Daniels could not sue Lizzo as an individual, leaving the production company as the defendant. In this latest decision the judge also addressed an incident in which Daniels claimed her foot was run over by a heavy clothes rack, stating the court did not minimize her pain but that the injuries did not qualify as disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In an Instagram post after the ruling, Lizzo, whose legal name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, thanked her lawyers, expressed relief at the outcome and said she would continue to contest the claims made against her and her businesses. She also wrote that she will continue to use her platform to spread positivity and sent love to her supporters.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The court concluded the allegations, while described as inappropriate and unprofessional, did not meet the threshold for the statutory claims Daniels advanced. The judge distinguished workplace mistreatment from conduct that would support legal protection under the cited statutes and found the specific injury alleged did not constitute a disability under the ADA.

The lawsuit by Daniels was filed in September 2023 following separate claims from three former tour dancers; those earlier claims, which included sexual harassment and fat-shaming allegations, have been denied by Lizzo’s team and some related claims were previously dismissed by a judge.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha dismissed the remaining claims by wardrobe assistant Asha Daniels against Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc.
• The judge found Daniels did not show general hostility to women or disparate treatment of women in the workplace.
• The court said the claimed injury from a clothes rack did not qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Lizzo thanked her lawyers on Instagram, said she was relieved, and reiterated she will continue to contest the claims.
• Daniels’ suit followed an earlier lawsuit by three former tour dancers; some related allegations had been dismissed previously.

Kaynak: BBC