Lizzo loses more than 120,000 Instagram followers after 'fat shaming' and harassment claims
Lizzo has seen her social media followers drop like flies after she was accused of 'fat shaming' and creating a hostile work environment for her dancers.
The 'Good As Hell' singer's following has declined rapidly since a lawsuit was filed against her in Los Angeles on Tuesday (1 August), revealing shocking allegations made by three of her former dancers.
Lizzo was accused of calling attention to one dancer's weight gain, as well as pressuring one of them to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam.
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Though she initially stayed quiet about the allegations, Lizzo has now responded to dismiss them as 'false'.
"Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound and too outrageous to not be addressed," she wrote in a statement shared online.
In spite of Lizzo's insistence that the claims are false, the allegations alone have been enough to impact her fanbase on social media.
Prior to the lawsuit being filed, Lizzo had more than 13.5 million followers on Instagram. In the time since, her following her dropped by more than 123,000, bringing her total at the time of writing (3 August) to 13.4 million followers.
On TikTok, where she previously had 27.1 million followers, the singer now has 26.9 million, according to data from Social Blade.
The lawyer for the plaintiffs, Ron Zambrano, criticised Lizzo as the lawsuit was announced earlier this week, saying: "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."
In her own statement released today, Lizzo described the time since the lawsuit had been filed as 'gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing'.
"My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned," she continued. "My character has been criticized...
"These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.
"As an artist I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.
"With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team."
Lizzo's statement went on to stress she did not want 'to be looked at as a victim', but insisted: "I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days."
The singer thanked those who had offered their support in the 'difficult time' and insisted she would not let the 'good work [she's] done in the world be overshadowed by this'.
Emily Brown