Can Lizzo survive a harassment lawsuit?
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 11 August 2023
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Pop superstar Lizzo has said a lawsuit with claims of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment are ‘false’. Three former dancers have brought legal action against the singer, her dance captain and her production company. The allegations threaten to tarnish Lizzo’s brand, built on self-love and positivity – so can she survive the backlash? And is this a parable of modern celebrity and idol worship?
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Guest: Megan Agnew, Features Writer, The Sunday Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Clips: TikTok/@bricksmagazine, TikTok/@shellywixted1990, Sky News, Big Boy TV, Twitter/@lizzo, Washington Post, ABC’s Good Morning America, Juice/Lizzo/Atlantic Records, British Vogue.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | A warning before you listen, this episode contains themes of an adult nature. |
| 0:10.8 | She's the plus-sized flute-playing megastar queen of self-love. |
| 0:14.4 | We hear from the world every single day while we're not good enough. |
| 0:18.0 | The last person you need to hear from is yourself! |
| 0:22.4 | Lizzo, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, and not just because of her music, |
| 0:28.0 | the millions who stream her songs, the massive crowd that turned out for her |
| 0:32.0 | Glastonbury this year, were partly there for her empowering message, her frank authenticity. |
| 0:38.1 | So how do you mean my health, Laura? |
| 0:40.3 | I get bullied on social media. |
| 0:43.0 | My role you're talented and you're beautiful and you're incredible and you're |
| 0:46.5 | special and you can do anything and you're so young. |
| 0:49.4 | You could be the greatest dancer in the world. |
| 0:54.2 | But could this image and success be ruined by harassment allegations which she denies |
| 1:00.0 | from some of her former employees? |
| 1:02.1 | It may seem sensationalized or just outrageous. |
| 1:05.9 | Well one is because it is outrageous, we were shocked by all of these things that happened to us. |
| 1:15.6 | Is this another cautionary tale of modern celebrity and misplaced idle worship? |
| 1:20.6 | We're all left wondering whether she's real. |
| 1:23.2 | And if she isn't real, then were all of those feelings that she made me feel real too? |
| 1:29.8 | Was her message still authentic if she wasn't? |
| 1:36.1 | And is this what happens to a success built online, |
| 1:39.6 | feigned by social media and trial by social media? |
... |
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