Lizzo Breaks Silence About Sexual Harassment Lawsuits

Lizzo Claims Burlesque And Sex Shows She Attended On Tour Were “Consensual” And “Not Mandatory”

Source: SAUL LOEB / Getty

The sexual harassment claims shocked Lizzo the most, who explained that her invitations to sensual showcases while touring in Europe were “never mandatory.”  She described a casual open invitation to the Crazy Horse burlesque show in Paris and extending an offer to meet the performers after the show.

Again, Keke emphasized Lizzo’s position alone may have added pressure to the dancers’ decision to attend and show enthusiasm. Similar questions arose about the Bananenbar sex show in Amsterdam. “I’ve been waiting to get this off my chest,” Lizzo said about the shocking spectacle.

Lizzo said she “went on my own” to Bananenbar when a dancer “friend” mentioned having “nowhere to go” after a birthday dinner. Lizzo told them to “come through,” but “didn’t even know” everyone else was joining them until 17 people included themselves. She thought nothing of everyone pulling up for a “wild” but “very consensual” show:

“Everybody came through. We had a great time. There were moments because the performer is very consensual, but she’s also performing. So she’ll ask you. She’ll be like, ‘Would you like to do this? Would you like to do that?’ If you say ‘Yes,’ you do it. If you say ‘No,’ she’s like, ‘OK.’ Moves on.

“I have to stress how consensual it was because this bar has been like this since 1945. If they were doing things non-consensually, they would have been sued,” she continued.

When Keke asked if the “Good As Hell” singer’s “bar personality” could’ve come across wrong, Lizzo admitted “people I employ shouldn’t be privvy to how I am in a bar at this point. This experience taught me healthy boundaries,” she said.

Both women emphasized the importance of believing victims and taking assault seriously, even if Lizzo challenged some allegations as “silly” in context. She denied requesting, insisting, or coercing anyone to touch or engage the “erotic performers” during the show.

Zombrano also noted to People that the “Special” celeb’s “lack of awareness” about the power dynamics doesn’t absolve her.

“There is an utter lack of awareness by Lizzo failing to see how these young women on her team who are just starting their careers would feel pressured to accept an invitation from their global celebrity boss who rarely hangs out with them. There is a power dynamic in the boss-employee context that Lizzo utterly fails to appreciate,” he said.

Lizzo claims she will never discuss these allegations again. Yet, between the active lawsuits and her recently finished album, this won’t be the last we’ve heard about it.

What do you think about Lizzo’s new interview?