Lizzo's Accusers' Lawyer Slams Her Grammy Invite As 'Female Privilege'
By Afouda Bamidele on February 6, 2024 at 8:30 AM EST
Lizzo's appearance on the prestigious Grammy stage may have ruffled some feathers amid her ongoing sexual harassment case.
The singer recorded a significant win in the legal battle last week when the judge threw out a chunk of the plaintiff's petition, and she is now headed for a jury trial.
Lizzo Accused Of Enjoying Preferential Treatment
The 35-year-old presented the Best R&B Song award to SZA at the just concluded Grammy Awards on Sunday.
However, the epic moment between the two friends on stage left a bitter taste in the mouths of the lawyers representing Lizzo's former backup dancers, who wondered why the academy would choose to identify with the singer.
Neama Rahmani expressed his disappointment her disappointment to TMZ and alleged a case of female privilege and double standard. According to Rahmani, if a white man were in the same sexual harassment, racism, and fat shaming allegation, they would not be shown the same grace Lizzo received.
Despite his observation, the attorney is confident that the truth will be revealed and his clients will win the lawsuit. He also mentioned that the plaintiff's win would convince the Recording Academy to start taking victims' accounts against influential celebrities seriously.
Like Rahmani, TMZ also noted that some viewers shared his sentiments, stating that the singer has appeared unscathed since the ongoing lawsuit began.
The award-winning singer has received tons of support from her colleagues and staff since the allegations became public last year. Eighteen members of her touring company reportedly wrote declarations of support to the singer and disputed the claims against her.
The "Special" Singer Got A Partial Dismissal In The Case Last Week
Lizzo is getting closer to proving her innocence as the Los Angeles Country Superior Court threw out one part of the case filed by her former backup dancers. The request was granted by Judge Mark H. Epstein last Wednesday after Lizzo's legal team denied "every allegation" in their own filing.
The Blast noted that the 34-page order contained Epstein's reasons for granting half of the singer's demand and dismissing the rest.
Three dancers on the singer's touring group, namely Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, accused Lizzo of harassment during their time as contestants on her reality show and performers on her "Special" tour.
Following the court victory, Lizzo's spokesman, Stefan Friedman, released a statement expressing the singer's gratitude to the judge for "seeing through much of the noise and recognizing who she is- a strong woman who exists to lift others up and spread positivity."
He also disclosed the team's plan to appeal the other cases dismissed by the judge and expressed his certainty of a landslide victory. The plaintiff's lawyer also shared their preparedness to conduct thorough research and prepare a solid case before the jury following the new development.
He reiterated that the dancers were telling the truth, noting that claims of sexual, religious, and racial discrimination, assaults, false imprisonment, and visits to Bananenbar in Amsterdam and Crazy Horse in Paris still remain in the other half of the lawsuit.
The Grammy statement is not the first time the plaintiff's attorney has voiced their displeasure at Lizzo's "unfair advantage." Attorney Ron Zambrano expressed a similar view in August 2023 after Lizzo's team countersued the plaintiff's lawsuit.
They expressed their intention to "sue for malicious prosecution after she prevails and these specious claims are dismissed."
In his statement, he described Lizzo's move as an "insidious attempt at intimidation and delivers a chilling effect to all harassment victims in the workplace.' He added that Lizzo's legal representatives chose the old "scare tactics, bullying, and victim shaming strategy," which was a common practice in the entertainment sphere.
