Lizzo is a complicated figure. For years, she was the undisputed queen of the "body positivity" movement. She played the flute, wore the leotards, and told everyone they were "good as hell" regardless of the number on the scale. Then, 2023 happened. The headlines were brutal. Her former dancers sued her, alleging a toxic workplace, sexual harassment, and—most shockingly for her brand—lizzo fat shaming her own employees.
It felt like a glitch in the matrix. How could the woman who built a career on self-love be accused of mocking someone else's weight?
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026, and the legal dust is finally starting to settle. Just last month, in December 2025, a judge officially dismissed the fat-shaming claims from that massive lawsuit. Lizzo took to social media, looking visibly relieved, to tell her side. She basically said the truth is finally out. According to her, those dancers weren't fired because they gained weight; they were fired for filming her without consent.
Still, the damage to her reputation was massive. You don't just bounce back from "hypocrite" allegations overnight.
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The Lawsuit That Changed Everything
In August 2023, three former backup dancers—Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez—dropped a legal bombshell. They didn't just mention long hours or tough rehearsals. They talked about being pressured to touch nude performers in Amsterdam. They mentioned a grueling 12-hour "audition" that felt more like a punishment.
But the claim that stuck in the public's throat was the lizzo fat shaming allegation.
Arianna Davis alleged that Lizzo made "thinly veiled" comments about her weight gain, questioning her "commitment" to the tour. In the world of professional dance, "commitment" is often code for "fitness." For Lizzo’s fans, this felt like a betrayal. If the person telling you to love your rolls is secretly judging her dancers for theirs, what's real?
Lizzo’s team fought back hard. They called the claims "fabricated." They produced statements from 18 other employees who said the tour was a great place to work.
"I have never fired an employee for gaining weight. I have only encouraged and supported people with bigger bodies and shared my platform with them." — Lizzo, December 2025.
The court eventually agreed with her on that specific point. Judge Mark H. Epstein ruled there wasn't enough evidence to support the idea that weight-based discrimination happened. But the case isn't over. Other claims, like sexual harassment and false imprisonment, are still moving through the system.
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The "I Quit" Moment and the Social Media Burnout
By early 2024, the internet was a cesspool for Lizzo. She was getting it from all sides. People who believed the dancers hated her. People who already hated her for being fat felt vindicated.
In March 2024, she posted a black square with the words "I QUIT."
Everyone thought she was leaving music. The internet went into a frenzy. Was she retiring? Was the "cancel culture" finally winning? A few days later, she clarified. She wasn't quitting music; she was quitting "giving any negative energy attention."
Honestly, who could blame her? She was being used as a punchline for everything. South Park even did an episode about "Lizzo" being a cheaper alternative to Ozempic. They joked that her music makes you "not care" that you're fat. She actually reacted to it with a mix of pride and annoyance, saying she showed the world how to not give a f***.
The 2025 Transformation: Is It Ozempic?
As we moved into 2025, the conversation shifted again. Lizzo started losing weight. A lot of it.
The "Ozempic or Coke?" comments started flooding her Instagram. People who once praised her for being "unapologetically big" now felt like she was "abandoning" them. It’s a weird trap. If she stays big, she’s "promoting obesity." If she loses weight, she’s a "traitor."
She’s been very vocal about this recently. In a Substack essay published late last year, she talked about her "weight release" journey. She dropped about 16% of her body fat over two years.
She credits:
- High-intensity Pilates (specifically working with Black women instructors).
- A moderate calorie deficit.
- Physical therapy to handle the toll of years of performing.
She’s been adamant that she didn't use drugs. She posted a reel saying, "When you finally get Ozempic allegations after 5 months of weight training and calorie deficit." She seems to find the accusations funny, but also frustrating.
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Why the Body Positivity Movement is Evolving
Lizzo is now pushing for something she calls "body neutrality." Basically, she’s tired of her body being the only thing people talk about.
In her recent writings, she pointed out a scary trend: the "Ozempic boom" is making plus-size people invisible again. Extended sizes are disappearing from shops. Plus-size models aren't getting booked like they were in 2020.
She admits she had to play into certain tropes—being "hypersexual" or "vulgar"—just to avoid being seen as a "mammy" figure. It’s a heavy burden to carry. She’s trying to reclaim her identity as a musician first and a "body icon" second.
What We Can Learn From the Lizzo Controversy
So, what do we do with all this?
First, we have to acknowledge that workplace culture and public persona are two different things. A person can be an advocate for self-love and still be a demanding, or even "unkind," boss. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. The legal system is handling the harassment claims, but the court of public opinion is much messier.
Second, the lizzo fat shaming saga shows us how quickly we turn on people when their "brand" slips. We put celebrities in boxes. When they try to step out—or when they fail to live up to the impossible standards we set for them—we tear them down.
Actionable Takeaways for Navigating Body Discourse
- Focus on Body Neutrality: Your body is a vessel, not a political statement. It's okay for your weight to change. It's okay to want to be stronger or more mobile without it being "fatphobic."
- Question "Brand" Perfection: No celebrity is a saint. You can enjoy the music and the message while acknowledging that the human behind it is flawed and subject to the same pressures as everyone else.
- Audit Your Social Media: If following the "weight loss vs. body positivity" wars makes you feel like crap about your own body, hit unfollow. The algorithms thrive on the conflict surrounding Lizzo’s image.
- Wait for the Facts: The 2023 lawsuit was a whirlwind of "he-said, she-said." As the 2025 dismissals showed, legal "truth" takes time. Don't let a headline form your entire worldview.
Lizzo isn't going anywhere. She’s still "objectively big" (her words), she's still playing the flute, and she's still fighting a legal battle that will likely drag on into 2027. Whether she’s a hero or a villain depends entirely on which part of the story you're looking at.
Check the latest court filings if you want the nitty-gritty on the remaining harassment claims, or just go for a walk and listen to "Special." Both are valid ways to process the Lizzo era.