A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the remaining claims in a well-publicized lawsuit against Lizzo’s production company, declaring that the case brought by her former wardrobe stylist could not proceed.
The ruling by US district judge Fernando L Aenlle-Rocha comes nearly two years after he dismissed Lizzo as an individual defendant from the case brought by Asha Daniels against the About Damn Time singer and her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc Daniels first filed her lawsuit in September 2023, alleging that she was subject to bullying as well as sexual and racial harassment in an “unsafe, sexually charged workplace culture”.
Lizzo denied all allegations and called the lawsuit, as well as a separate suit filed by three backup dancers in August 2023, “false” and “outrageous”. At the time of filing, her lawyers characterized Daniels as a “disgruntled” employee with “meritless and salacious” accusations.
In his ruling, Aenlle-Rocha said Daniels failed to identify conduct by company employees that would constitute “general hostility” toward women or disparate treatment between men and women at the workplace. “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,’” he wrote.
Daniels also claimed disability discrimination, citing an injury from a wardrobe manager who allegedly rolled a heavy clothing rack over her foot and pushed her. But while “the court does not seek to minimize or disregard the pain plaintiff felt from these injuries,” the judge decided that said injuries did not meet the requirements set forth by the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
In a statement, Daniels’ lawyer Ron Zambrano expressed disappointment with the ruling. “While we respect the court and the judicial process, we believe the decision improperly weighed evidence that should have been evaluated by a jury,” he said. “We disagree that an employee twisting her ankle and limping while trying to work does not meet the legal standard of a disability under the ADA. These are important issues because these claims often depend on how a jury evaluates the full workplace environment, the surrounding context, and disputed facts. We respectfully disagree with the Court’s approach and are considering appropriate next steps.”
Daniels’ lawsuit followed on the heels of a separate suit by three former backup dancers who accused the Grammy winner of creating a hostile work environment through sexual, racial and religious harassment. The lawsuit further claimed that the singer, an outspoken advocate for body positivity and self-love, berated a dancer for gaining weight, pressured another dancer to touch a nude performer at a club in Amsterdam and subjected several dancers to an “excruciating” 12-hour audition after making false accusations that they drank while working.
The fat-shaming claim was dismissed by a judge in December 2025. In a social media post celebrating that dismissal, Lizzo said she is “not settling” and will fight “every single claim until the truth comes out”. The case remains ongoing.
“I could have settled, but I’m a woman who is not afraid of the truth coming out, so I’m continuing to fight,” she told the Today show in June. “I’m really excited for all of the claims to be dropped and for us to just move forward.”
