Lizzo: More complaints about singer being investigated in wake of lawsuit
More complaints into Lizzo’s behaviour are being investigated by lawyers representing her accusers.
Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez, along with a third dancer, Arianna Davis, have filed a lawsuit against the Grammy-winning musician and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring (BGBT), which also includes claims of religious harassment, disability discrimination, assault, and false imprisonment.
Speaking to NBC News, Ron Zambrano said his firm is now looking at fresh allegations from six people who say they toured with Lizzo, as well as others who worked on her TV show Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.
Mr Zambrano said the allegations are of a “sexually charged environment”, and failure to pay staff, adding some of the claims are potentially actionable.
After news of the lawsuit emerged, Lizzo issued a statement on social media saying she was “not the villain”. The singer, who is known for championing body positivity, described the allegations as “unbelievable” and “too outrageous to not be addressed”.
In response, Ms Williams told Sky News: “Her statement is just confirming the pattern of every time somebody speaks up or advocates for themselves, like we’re doing now, we get victim-blamed, we get gaslighted. And she likes to point the finger instead of addressing the issues that are being brought up.”
This is something that happens on an “everyday basis” when working with stars, she said. “Sadly, we’ve already experienced not only dancers that have worked with her directly, but dancers that are just in the entertainment industry in general, they’ve already come out and they’ve shared their stories.
“They feel brave enough to share their experiences… before people were just silent about it, they didn’t feel comfortable enough. They didn’t feel protected enough to call these artists out, to call these management teams out, and let them know, ‘hey, what you’re doing is wrong’.”
Lizzo is a four-time Grammy winner who was named Time’s entertainer of the year in 2019. She is best known for hits including Truth Hurts, Juice, Good As Hell and About Damn Time.
Ms Davis and Ms Williams began dancing with the star after competing on her Amazon reality show Watch Out For The Big Grrrls in 2021, but were both later fired. Ms Rodriguez was hired in the same year after performing in the video for the song Rumours, but resigned earlier this year over the “appalling behaviour”.
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Lizzo accused of ‘gaslighting’
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Ms Rodriguez compared working for Lizzo to dancing for the likes of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, saying elsewhere this week: “I mean, working with Beyoncé, you have to be on your P’s and Q’s. Same thing with someone like Janet [Jackson] or Lady Gaga.
“But what they did differently and what Lizzo’s not understanding as a businesswoman, is that you can still have this expectation, this level of talent and energy that you want around you, but still show appreciation to your workers.
“There’s a really good balance of that, and I just don’t understand, the more you show that appreciation to your workers and that you care for them and everything that they’re doing for you as they are for you as well, the harder they want to work for you.
“I think that’s the biggest difference that she doesn’t quite understand yet.”
In her statement responding to the women’s lawsuit, Lizzo said: “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 added: “I am not here to be looked at as a victim, but I also know that I am not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be these last few days.”
Sky News has contacted Lizzo’s representatives for comment.
A lewd birthday message Donald Trump allegedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been released by Democrats.
The US president has denied writing the letter or creating a hand-drawn outline of what appears to be a woman that surrounds the piece of paper.
The letter, bearing Mr Trump’s name and allegedly his signature, includes the text: “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Pic: X/OversightDems
Mr Trump has called a report on the letter “false, malicious, and defamatory”.
“These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures,” Mr Trump said.
The letter was included as part of a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s birthday.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee received a copy of the birthday album on Monday as part of a batch of documents from Epstein’s estate.
Mr Trump has already filed a $10bn (£7.3bn) lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for a report in July on the alleged letter.
After the letter was released on Monday, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted pictures on X of Trump’s signature and tagged The Wall Street Journal’s parent corporation, News Corp, writing: “Time for @newscorp to open that checkbook, it’s not his signature. DEFAMATION!”
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said: “The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal PROVES this entire ‘Birthday Card’ story is false.
“As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.”
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The letter’s disclosure comes amid a bipartisan demand in Congress for the release of the so-called Epstein files amid years of speculation and conspiracy theories.
Calls for the release of the records came from Republicans, including JD Vance before he was sworn in as vice-president.
Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that said he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls.
US
Ryan Routh: Man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump faces trial this week – and it could be chaotic
The trial of a man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf is due to begin today.
Ryan Routh, 59, was arrested after a rifle was seen poking through bushes at Mr Trump‘s West Palm Beach golf course in Florida on 15 September last year.
The incident occurred weeks after a bullet grazed the president’s ear in another assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Routh, who faces the prospect of life in prison, has pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him. He has also opted to defend himself in court – an unusual move that legal experts say could add an unpredictable element to the trial.
Here is all you need to know as legal proceedings begin in Fort Pierce, Florida.
What did Routh allegedly do?
Prosecutors allege Routh, a construction worker from North Carolina, was “lying in wait” with a rifle near the sixth hole of the Florida golf course when Mr Trump was playing.
A Secret Service agent, who was patrolling the course ahead of Mr Trump, spotted a rifle barrel coming out of a perimeter fence.
After seeing Routh, the agent opened fire, causing him to flee the scene in a black Nissan SUV. He was later arrested on a motorway about 46 miles from the golf course.
Members of the FBI at the Florida golf course last year. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump was uninjured in the incident, and there is no evidence that Routh fired his weapon at the golf course.
Months before his arrest, Routh allegedly wrote a note signalling his intention to kill the president.
The note, which was left in a box at the house of an unidentified person, was headlined “Dear World” and allegedly said: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”
A handwritten list of dates and locations where Mr Trump was expected to be was also found on him, according to prosecutors.
What are the charges?
Routh is facing five felony counts in relation to the alleged assassination attempt. They include:
• Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate;
• Possessing a firearm to carry out a violent crime;
• Assaulting a federal officer;
• Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition;
• Possession of a firearm with an obliterated (removed) serial number.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
How will the trial unfold?
The trial will begin on 8 September with the selection of the jury. Lawyers aim to find 12 jurors and four alternates, with the process expected to last three days.
Opening statements are then scheduled to begin on Thursday 11 September, and prosecutors will begin their case immediately after that.
The incident happened weeks after an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Pic: Reuters
Prosecutors will have to convince a jury that Routh both intended to kill Mr Trump and took a substantial step toward doing so.
Mr Trump is not expected to attend court or give evidence.
The court has scheduled four weeks for the trial, but lawyers expect it will not last that long.
Why is Routh defending himself?
Routh, who has no formal legal training, is set to deliver opening and closing statements, question witnesses and present evidence on his own behalf.
In a letter to US district judge, Aileen Cannon, Routh said it was “ridiculous” to consider a “random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me”.
He added: “Best I walk alone.”
Routh’s two former lawyers will serve as “standby counsel,” where they can provide him with advice if called upon. He will also face strict limits on his ability to deliver political or ideological arguments at trial.
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Criminal defendants have a legal right to self-representation, but experts say Routh’s decision increases the chance of legal risks.
“If his sole goal is to be acquitted, then his chances probably go down,” Erica Hashimoto, a law professor at Georgetown University, said.
“If he has something else that he’s trying to do by going to trial, then representing himself may be the only way to do that.”
Who is the judge?
District judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Mr Trump during his first term, is presiding over the case.
She also oversaw the criminal case accusing Mr Trump of illegally holding onto classified documents, a case which she threw out, to the consternation of Trump critics.
Judge Aileen Cannon. Pic: US Senate/AP
Ms Cannon has already ruled that some of Routh’s prior writings, which he sought to show the jury, cannot be presented as evidence.
She has also ordered against him using witness testimony as a “tool for calculated chaos”.
It comes as Routh previously suggested trading himself for a prisoner held by China or Iran, and unsuccessfully attempted to subpoena (order to court) Mr Trump himself, according to The New York Times.
The men’s US Open final has been delayed by extra security measures as Donald Trump’s arrival was met by cheers and boos from fans at Flushing Meadows.
The match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top two players, was pushed back by half an hour in New York on Sunday before Alcaraz won three sets to one.
The US president was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from early arriving spectators when he waved from a suite at the Arthur Ashe Stadium about 45 minutes before the match began.
Crowds waiting to enter the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the US Open men’s singles final. Pic: AP
President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the US Open tennis men’s singles final. Pic: AP
Increased security checks at entrances to the grounds and to get into the arena building prompted the US Tennis Association to move the start time to 2.30pm, local time, instead of 2pm.
Organisers said it was “to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats.”
A spokesperson for the US Tennis Association said it “was not a request made by the White House”.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning the US Open men’s singles title. Pic: Reuters
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Pic: AP
Despite the change, the 24,000-capacity arena was only about two-thirds full when the first point was played, while thousands of fans still were standing outside the court, waiting in line to enter.
Mr Trump, who is the first sitting president to attend the tournament at Flushing Meadows since Bill Clinton in 2000, was booed again when he appeared for the National Anthem.
Standing up and saluting, the president was shown briefly on the arena’s big screens during the anthem, and offered a smirk that briefly made the boos louder.
Movie star Ben Stiller. Pic: AP
Anna Wintour. Pic: AP
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Always a big celebrity draw, the final attracted, among others, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Hollywood stars Ben Stiller and Danny DeVito, director Spike Lee and basketball player Steph Curry.
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