Beyoncé seemingly adjusted her performance in response to a lawsuit against Lizzo alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.
On Tuesday (August 1), Bey appeared to omit her usual Lizzo shoutout during her performance of “Break My Soul (Queen’s Remix)” at a concert in Foxboro’s Gillette Stadium, per CBS News.
Throughout the Renaissance World Tour, Bey has used the song to celebrate Black women in the industry, shouting out the likes of Lizzo, Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, and Nicki Minaj. Videos posted on social media, however, show Beyoncé declining to say Lizzo’s name at Tuesday’s concert even as the “Special” singer’s name flashed on the screen behind her.
The omission comes after three of Lizzo’s former dancers filed a lawsuit against the singer in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that she pressured one of them to touch a nude performer at an Amsterdam club and weight-shamed a performer after an appearance at South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival among other allegations.
“The stunning nature of how Lizzo and her management team treated their performers seems to go against everything Lizzo stands for publicly, while privately she weight-shames her dancers and demeans them in ways that are not only illegal but absolutely demoralizing,” the dancers’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said in a statement.
The plaintiffs of the suit are former dancers Arianna Davis and Crystal Williams, both of whom began working with Lizzo in 2021 after competing on her reality show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls and were later fired. The third, Nancy Rodriguez, was also brought on in 2021 after performing in Lizzo’s music video “Rumors.” Rodriguez quit earlier this year.
In the suit, the dancers also allege religious and racial harassment, false imprisonment, interference with prospective economic advantage, and other allegations. Defendants include Lizzo, her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, and her dance captain, Shirlene Quigley.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.