Lizzo is being called out for “trying to play the victim” in her harassment lawsuit.
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Shortly after the “About Damn Time” singer posted an emotional statement about quitting the music industry, attorney Ron Zambrano–who is representing the dancers that are suing her for harassment–has responded to her pleas.
Lizzo took to Instagram on Friday to speak out about the public criticism she’s faced recently, admitting she’s “getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the Internet.”
“All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it,” the singer continued. “I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views… being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look… my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name. I didn’t sign up for this s**t.”
She concluded her post by writing, “I QUIT” with a peace-out emoji.
In response, Ron Zambrano issued a statement to Billboard insisting, “It’s a joke that Lizzo would say she is being bullied by the internet when she should instead be taking an honest look at herself.”
He went on to call her post an “outburst seeking attention,” claiming Lizzo is “trying to deflect from her own failings as she continues to blame everyone else for the predicament she is in.”
“She has thrown these childish tantrums before,” Zambrano continued. “No one actually believes she is quitting music. But she should quit sexually harassing, shaming and bullying her employees and finally accept responsibility for her actions.”
Shortly after Zambrano’s statement, a spokesman for Lizzo responded by issuing a statement of their own to Billboard.
“With nearly half his case dismissed, 18 independent witnesses siding with Lizzo and no settlement on the way to get him his tasty contingency fee, Ron has started making wild personal attacks that have absolutely nothing to do with the clients who he is supposedly representing,” Lizzo’s spokesperson Stefan Friedman said. “We would humbly recommend that Ron start representing his clients and stop representing just himself.”