By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | April 2, 2024 |
By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | April 2, 2024 |
Over the weekend, Lizzo took to Instagram to announce, “I QUIT.” Here’s the post (I’m uploading a screenshot, cuz you know the original will be deleted within the week):
So, what exactly is Lizzo quitting? The music industry? Social media? Playing 200-year-old crystal flutes? It’s not totally clear, but everyone seems to be leaning toward music as a whole.
Reactions to Lizzo’s post were mixed. Of course there were the trolls who filled her comment section with racism and fatphobia. Then there were the commenters who voiced their support for the dancers suing Lizzo. The former employees accused her of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, religious and racial harassment, fat-shaming, and more.
But celebs like Jackée Harry, Andy Cohen, Asia O’Hara, Paris Hilton, and Sophia Bush encouraged Lizzo to reconsider quitting. This makes sense; many stars have continued to support the 35-year-old musician despite her rep taking a nosedive. See: Lizzo’s appearances at the Grammys, the Oscars, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance film premiere.
The dancers’ lawsuit was filed last summer. Days later, Lizzo posted a non-apology denying everything and blaming the victims. In early February, a judge denied Lizzo’s request to throw out the case out under California’s anti-SLAPP statute. It’s a special law that gets rid of meritless lawsuits that threaten free speech, and Lizzo’s argument was that her accusers were using the suit to “silence” her.
Yesterday, the accusers’ attorney, Ron Zambrano, released this statement about Lizzo’s recent Instagram post, via Entertainment Weekly:
“It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself. Her latest post is just another outburst seeking attention and trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in. Lizzo’s legal and public relations strategy is a failure, so she is desperately trying to play the victim.”
Ron added that Lizzo has thrown “childish tantrums” like this one before, and “no one actually believes she is quitting music.” I definitely didn’t buy Lizzo’s claim she was quitting. Even before the lawsuit, she was threatening to leave the industry. It’s like when Selena Gomez announces she’s going off social media. Or when I proclaim I’m never buying another bag of Oreo minis, ever again! Just give us a week. We’ll be back.
Stefan Friedman, a spokesperson for Lizzo, immediately responded to Ron Zambrano’s statement:
“With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing. We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself.”
I don’t know if Stefan’s statement about half of Ron’s case being dismissed proves anything cuz a) I only understand the law when it’s explained to me on The Good Wife, and, b) celebrity spokespeople are famously full of shit. So, what’s next? A trial? A quiet settlement with an NDA? Stay tuned…