When Asha Daniels filed her unlawful retaliatory termination, racial and sexual harassment lawsuit in opposition to Lizzo and her touring staff in September, the Grammy winner bashed the motion by her former tour wardrobe designer as “a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt.” Now, the ‘Reality Hurts” singer and her Huge Grrl Huge Touring, Inc. need a state decide to toss the matter out.
Staking their December 15 filed demurrer in LA Superior Courtroom on Daniels having no proper to make the most of California legal guidelines whereas working for a Delaware company in Europe, the doc from Marty Singer’s agency rips “Plaintiff, a New York resident” for her “meritless and salacious motion after lower than three weeks of employment by BGBT” (daring and italics theirs).
“Throughout her transient employment by BGBT, Plaintiff refused to adjust to directions from her supervisors and tour administration, didn’t carry out the work that she was assigned and, ultimately, simply performed hooky and refused to point out up for work,” the movement states of what they are saying actually went down throughout Daniels’ February 14, 2023 to March 6, 2023 stint on Lizzo’s The Particular Tour. “Unsurprisingly, she was terminated after abandoning her put up on the day of a live performance in Paris, France,” the submitting provides of the March 5 gig at Accor Enviornment within the Metropolis of Mild’s 12th arrondissement (learn Lizzo’s movement to have Daniels case tossed out right here).
Filed on the identical day that Lizzo obtained the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award from the Black Music Motion Coalition, Daniels’ authorized motion of September 21 cited a “poisonous work surroundings” and a “tradition of racism and bullying on Lizzo’s tour.”
Damning allegations in any context, Daniels criticism additionally happened seven weeks after ex-tour dancers Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez sued Lizzo, BGBT and others for harassment, assault and discrimination. Six months earlier than that trio took to the courts, it has since been revealed that 14 dancers who carried out with Lizzo have been a part of a greater than $100,000 settlement associated to unauthorized use of their picture within the 2022 documentary Love, Lizzo.
As we speak, Daniels’ lawyer Ron Zambrano, who’s a part of the agency additionally representing Davis, Williams and Rodriguez, accused Lizzo’s attorneys of sufferer shaming, once more.
“This movement was anticipated and is one more Hail Mary by Lizzo’s staff to attempt to shift blame to the victims, as she has accomplished to the three different plaintiffs who’ve sued her for related allegations of harassment, incapacity discrimination and retaliatory termination,” the West Coast Leisure Legal professionals companion mentioned in a press release. “Lizzo and her attorneys can proceed making an attempt to rationalize her unlawful and wretched conduct, however we stay dedicated to looking for justice for our purchasers and look ahead to our day in court docket the place Lizzo can clarify her conduct in a public discussion board.”
That day may very well be coming early subsequent yr. Lizzo’s Lavely & Singer staff are requesting a January 24, 2024 listening to on their demurrer movement in entrance on LASC Choose Mark H. Epstein on the Santa Monica Courthouse.
Lizzo’s attorneys filed a shortly contested anti-SLAPP movement on October 27 to have Davis, Williams and Rodriguez’s go well with dismissed. On the conclusion of November 22 listening to on the movement, Choose Epstein mentioned he wouldn’t be issuing a ruling for not less than three weeks – and he nonetheless hasn’t.
