A federal judge wiped all remaining claims against Lizzo's touring company Tuesday (Sept. 1), handing the singer a clean sweep in wardrobe stylist Asha Daniels' three-year legal battle.
U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha granted summary judgment in favor of Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., dismissing every count Daniels had brought against the company.
Daniels, a wardrobe stylist on Lizzo's 2023 European tour, filed the suit in Sept. 2023 alleging a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, racial bias, and disability discrimination. Her claims included allegations that a wardrobe manager rolled a heavy clothing rack over her foot, a male co-worker made lewd gestures and sexual jokes, and that her boss, Amanda Nomura, used racial slurs and told her Lizzo had used similar language to describe other prominent Black artists.
The judge found that Daniels "failed to identify conduct by the company's employees that demonstrated general hostility to women in the workplace or disparate treatment of men and women." On the broader question of whether the conduct crossed a legal threshold, Aenlle-Rocha wrote: "This alleged conduct and these alleged incidents, while inappropriate and unprofessional, fall within the scope of what the Supreme Court has held to be outside the protection of Title VII as part of the ordinary tribulations of the workplace."
The lewd gestures and candy-related incidents were ruled "isolated and not directed at" Daniels. On the racial slur allegations involving Nomura, the judge wrote: "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." He also rejected Daniels' claim about Lizzo's alleged comments, writing that "no reasonable [judge or jury] could find" that the reported statement established an objectively racially hostile workplace.
The disability discrimination claim fared no better. Aenlle-Rocha acknowledged Daniels' pain but concluded that her injuries "do not qualify as disabilities under the ADA."
Lizzo's attorney Melissa Y. Glass called Tuesday's ruling a "total victory for Lizzo" and described the suit as "ludicrous," adding: "There was never any basis for Ms. Daniels to sue Lizzo, her touring company, her tour manager or her wardrobe manager. Indeed, the case against Lizzo was thrown out in December 2024. We are exploring all avenues to enforce our clients' rights after this major win."
The ruling does not close all of Lizzo's legal exposure. A separate lawsuit brought by three former dancers, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez, remains pending.
