‘I struggle to believe she would have so radically changed’: Grimes shares her ‘two cents’ about Lizzo as lawsuit looms

As Lizzo fields criticism for the treatment of her dancers, a fellow pop star has offered her perspective for consideration.

Following the news that several dancers are suing Lizzo on allegations including a hostile work environment and sexual harassment, Grimes took to Twitter to defend her contemporary. As an acquaintance of Lizzo’s for many years, the controversial pop star went on the defensive. Based on their experiences together in the entertainment industry, Grimes argued that Lizzo had the quality of character that would not be capable of these accusations.

For reference, the suit against Lizzo alleges that she coerced many of her dancers to go to afterparties in Amsterdam, where they were encouraged to touch nude dancers. These situations made many of the plaintiffs uncomfortable but felt if they did not attend these parties, they would be treated unfavorably. Since then, Lizzo enlisted the notorious lawyer Marty Singer who made a name for himself defending Brett Ratner and Bill Cosby in their sexual assault cases.

Grimes further stated: “Lizzo was kind to me and others for a decade before she was “cool,” and she checked in on me when no one cared. I’ve only ever seen exemplary behavior from her, especially when everyone was hating on me and she was on top of the world.”

Grimes may not have the perspective she needs

Most of Grimes’ statement stems from her personal experience with Lizzo in the past. Grimes claims that Lizzo treated her with kindness at a time when the industry maligned the singer. However, this fails to address the issue at hand. Lizzo’s current lawsuit is all about power discrepancy. The people suing Lizzo are doing so because they felt unfairly treated in a power dynamic. This is further exacerbated by claims that Lizzo dismissed her employees because of their weight.

Even if Grimes’ interactions with Lizzo in the past did not resemble the treatment of these dancers, it was a different power dynamic. Lizzo and Grimes would have been contemporaries instead of the leader and employer dynamic she represents to these dancers. The plaintiffs in the suit depended on Lizzo for employment and therefore felt at a disadvantage having to adhere to her standards.

If Grimes misunderstands the issue at present, that’s not exactly a surprise. The singer-songwriter has opinions that are shocking or do not fall within the realm of reasonable. In this recent conversation about how streaming is destroying the entertainment industries that we love, Grimes has inexplicably embraced the AI overlords and allowed them to use her voice. She will be splitting royalties for a successfully generated AI song.