Judge Dismisses Remaining Claims in Lizzo Stylist Lawsuit

A U.S. district judge, Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, ruled that the remaining claims in the lawsuit filed by former wardrobe stylist Asha Daniels against Lizzo’s touring company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., cannot proceed. Daniels had alleged bullying, sexual and racial harassment, and disability discrimination stemming from incidents on Lizzo’s 2023 European tour. The judge concluded that the plaintiff failed to show “general hostility” toward women or disparate treatment between men and women that would rise to the level of a Title VII violation, and that her foot injury did not satisfy the legal definition of a disability under the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

The GuardianRolling Stone

Daniels first filed the suit in September 2023, accusing the tour’s environment of “racist and fat-phobic comments,” sexual harassment, and a wardrobe-manager injury involving a heavy clothing rack. Earlier, the court had dismissed Lizzo herself as a defendant, and a separate lawsuit by three former backup dancers remains pending. Lizzo has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as “false” and “outrageous.”

The Guardian

• “In our view, the ruling appears to minimize evidence of a sexually charged work environment by assessing incidents too narrowly, [for example] pictures of penises and sexually charged comments by managers, rather than considering their cumulative impact,” — Ron Zambrano, daniels’ lawyer

Rolling Stone

The ruling underscores judicial limits on applying Title VII to what the Supreme Court has termed the “ordinary tribulations of the workplace,” potentially narrowing the scope of future harassment claims in entertainment settings. It also clarifies that injuries such as a twisted ankle, even when painful, may not meet the ADA’s disability threshold, influencing how disability claims are evaluated in similar cases.

Rolling Stone