Lizzo's attorneys are legally hitting back at a former employee who filed a harassment and discrimination lawsuit against the singer months ago.
The lawsuit, filed by Lizzo's former tour wardrobe designer Asha Daniels in September, accused Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc. and her wardrobe manager, Amanda Nomura, of a number of crimes, including sexual and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and retaliation.
But in their motion to dismiss the suit Friday, Lizzo's lawyers said Daniels' case was "meritless and salacious" and failed to state facts sufficient enough to merit action against any of the defendants.
The singer's attorneys allege Daniels was employed as Nomura's assistant on The Special Tour earlier this year for less than three weeks before being terminated as a result of "abandoning" her job.
"During her brief employment by BGBT, Plaintiff refused to comply with instructions from her supervisors and tour management, failed to perform the work that she was assigned and, eventually, just played hooky and refused to show up for work," the demurrer states.
Further, the motion states Daniels' eight causes of action, each filed under California's Fair Housing and Employment Act (FEHA) and California Labor Code, cannot stand because Daniels is a New York resident who worked for a Delaware corporation in Europe and, therefore, "alleged no nexus to California."
Lizzo faces new lawsuit alleging harassment, hostile work environment
Lizzo is facing a second lawsuit by a former employee who alleges she creating a workplace of harassment, discrimination and more.
Daniels' suit doesn't directly accuse Lizzo of harassing behavior but does say Lizzo failed to prevent abuse inflicted by Nomura, which included her alleged "racist and fatphobic" comments and her referring to Black women as "dumb," "useless" and fat."
She also alleged that an "unsafe, sexually charged workplace culture" existed and that she often worked each day, all day, without breaks.
In a statement obtained by Deadline and PEOPLE, Daniels' attorney Ron Zambrano called Lizzo's attorneys' motion to dismiss his client's suit "another Hail Mary by Lizzo's team to try to shift blame to the victims, as she has done to the three other plaintiffs who have sued her for similar allegations of harassment, disability discrimination and retaliatory termination."
"Lizzo and her lawyers can continue trying to rationalize her illegal and wretched conduct but we remain committed to seeking justice for our clients, and look forward to our day in court where Lizzo can explain her behavior in a public forum," the statement continued.
Daniels' lawsuit came just weeks after three of Lizzo's former backup dancers also sued the singer, her production company and the captain of the performers' dance team on similar accusations, including sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.
Lizzo has denied all allegations against her in both cases.
