Author Roxane Gay Addresses Lizzo's Lawsuit Allegations: 'She Knows Better'

It seems Lizzo is still getting some support from author Roxanne Gay, who has been vocal about her support for the "Truth Hurts" singer in the past.

Three of Lizzos' former backup dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, have claimed that the Grammy winner participated in weight-shaming and forced them to perform inappropriate acts at an adult entertainment venue, according to a joint lawsuit.

Roxanne Gay is a writer, professor, editor, and social commentator, best known for her best-selling essay collection “Bad Feminist” and her memoir, “Hunger.” The 48-year-old Nebraska native recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to say that Lizzo’s career might not be completely tarnished by the allegations against her.

Earlier this week, Lizzo broke her silence and released a conservative statement surrounding the lawsuit, although many fans were not impressed with it. It seems that Gay wasn’t either, as she responded, “I think she should’ve had a better response, and she knows better.” She pointed to how Lizzo has “course corrected” in the past, such as when she replaced an ableist slur in her song “GRRRLS” last year.

“There was just no taking of responsibility, no direct engagement with the accusations, and no apology. I think we all know how the court system works, so I doubt she could offer the statement that people would’ve liked to have seen from her, legally speaking, if she doesn’t want to just settle — which she can just, honestly, apologize, settle and move on,” Gay added. “But we’ll see what happens.”

“Everyone is always talking about due process, but when it comes to a Black woman who people feel has gone beyond what they assume is possible for her, all of a sudden, due process no longer matters,” Gay continued. “It’s disappointing if true, and I tend to always err on the side of believing people when they say they’ve been harmed. But I also think that we should perhaps consider that the story may be a little more complicated than the media is portraying it as right now.”

Putting the lawsuit aside for a moment, Gay took a moment to recognize that some individuals are just looking for a reason to despite Lizzo due to "internalized fatphobia," which is prevalent throughout society.

“One of the things that’s important to remember is that we’re all raised in a fatphobic culture, and you can absolutely be fat and harbor internalized fatphobia. That doesn’t make it OK, but to believe that she would somehow be immune after the amount of vitriol that she has had to swallow — I don’t think people understand the level of fatphobia and misogynoir this woman deals with,” Gay told the publication.

“It’s appalling, it’s constant and it’s incredibly cruel, and that doesn’t make behaving in that manner OK, but there’s no way she couldn’t internalize some of those messages," she added. "I think the path forward for her involves acknowledging whatever wrongs she committed, making restitution, and admitting, ‘I’m not always perfect. I apologize. And I harbor some fatphobia.’”

Gay went on to say that certain communities will only use this incident in order to mask their prejudices against the singer under the guise of showing support for her alleged victims. “I think it’s wonderful that the victims are being believed, and there’s nothing about their stories that doesn’t seem credible on the surface, so I think it’s healthy and normal that they’re being believed," Gay said.

"What I think is not healthy and normal is the absolute glee that some people are expressing,” she continued. “People were waiting for Lizzo to make a mistake so that they could give in to their fatphobia and their anger that she dares to be positive about herself and love herself. That people see this as a doorway to being cruel to her is, I think, just as d*mning as the allegations against Lizzo.”

Roxanne Gay had previously published her support for Lizzo on The Audacity, where she showed support for Lizzo and the fatphobia she has suffered in the media. "When I encounter fatphobia these days, I often think about Lizzo. There is a specific kind of rage she engenders. Lizzo is black, beautiful, fat, and confident," she wrote. "It enrages people who believe she should hate herself and remain out of sight."

"From the beginning of her career, Lizzo has contended with a public that more often discusses her body than her body of work, simply because they cannot contain or control their fatphobia," she continued. "She has been the subject of derision, cruelty, and so-called humor, all directed at trying to tear a fat Black woman down because her body does not conform to their ideals."

Lizzo's full statement regarding the lawsuit can be read here.