A federal judge has dismissed the remaining claims against Lizzo’s touring company, ending a long-running harassment and discrimination lawsuit.
LOS ANGELES: A federal judge has dismissed the remaining claims in a long-running harassment and discrimination lawsuit against Lizzo’s touring company, handing the singer and the company a complete legal victory in the case.
US District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha ruled on Tuesday, September 1, that former wardrobe assistant Asha Daniels failed to establish that Lizzo’s Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc. violated federal or state laws during the 2023 European leg of the singer’s Special Tour.
Lizzo had already been removed from the case as an individual defendant in December 2024 after the court found that Daniels did not have legal standing to sue her personally. The court determined that Lizzo’s touring and payroll companies were identified as Daniels’ actual employers.
Daniels filed the lawsuit in September 2023, alleging that she had been subjected to a “culture of racism and bullying”, sexual harassment and disability discrimination while working on the tour.
She also alleged that a wardrobe manager rolled a heavy clothing rack over her foot and pushed her.
In his latest ruling, Aenlle-Rocha said Daniels had not shown that the alleged conduct amounted to the level of general hostility towards women required to support her claims.
He also rejected her disability discrimination allegations while acknowledging that she had suffered an injury.
“The court does not seek to minimise or disregard the pain plaintiff felt from these injuries,” the judge wrote, adding that the alleged incidents, although inappropriate and unprofessional, fell within conduct that the Supreme Court has held does not receive protection under Title VII.
Judge dismisses racial discrimination claims
The judge also dismissed Daniels’ racial discrimination claims, including an allegation that a supervisor had used racial slurs.
“There is no evidence to suggest Nomura ever spoke a racial slur or referred to any specific Black person or Black people generally using racially offensive language,” Aenlle-Rocha wrote.
Following the ruling, Lizzo addressed the decision in an Instagram video. Text displayed over the video said she was “relieved” to announce that she had won the case against her and Big Grrrl Touring.
Lizzo also criticised the allegations, saying the wardrobe assistant had worked on the tour for less than three weeks and that she had never personally met the singer.
Lizzo’s lawyer, Melissa Y. Glass, described the ruling as a “total victory for Lizzo, her touring company and the other defendants”.
She said the case should never have been brought and that the legal team was “exploring all avenues to enforce our clients’ rights”.
Daniels’ lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said he and his client were disappointed with the ruling. He argued that the judge had improperly weighed evidence that should have been considered by a jury and assessed the alleged incidents too narrowly instead of considering their cumulative impact.
Lawsuit came amid wider controversy
The lawsuit was filed amid wider legal controversy involving Lizzo after three former backup dancers brought a separate lawsuit against the singer and others in 2023.
Lizzo has denied the allegations made in that case as well.