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Beyoncé performing in New Jersey at the end of July

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Kevin Mazur / WireImage / Getty Images

Usually, her name appears in the live version of Beyoncé's song "Break My Soul (Queen's Remix)," which celebrates black women in the entertainment industry – in line with Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill and Nicki Minaj, among others. Now, however, Beyoncé has apparently removed Lizzo from the lyrics, at least during a performance on her Renaissance World Tour in Boston. Instead, she repeated Erykah Badu's name several times. Video recordings of the concert show the location:

The background to the redemption is probably the allegations against pop star Lizzo: As it recently became known, three former dancers have filed a lawsuit against the singer. They accuse the 35-year-old of having created a hostile working environment – including various violations of Californian labor law, as court documents reviewed by the AFP news agency show.

The allegations include, but are not limited to, "sexual, religious, and racial harassment, discrimination based on disability, assault, and deprivation of liberty," the plaintiffs' law firm said. The incidents are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2023 (read more about the details here).

The lawsuit is against Lizzo, her production company Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc and dance director Shirlene Quigley. Lizzo is said to have pressured the dancer in the club in Amsterdam to touch a naked performer. The dancers also claim that Lizzo criticized a dancer's recent weight gain and later berated her.

Loved and celebrated by fans

The allegations are at great odds with how Lizzo appears in public. The artist, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, has now won four Grammys and is committed to topics such as body positivity, self-love and sexual self-determination of women. On stage, for example, she performs wrapped in a rainbow flag. In her song »Special« she sings: »Could you imagine a world where everybody's the same?«

In her TV show »Watch out for the Big Grrrls«, she recently looked for dancers and performers who do not correspond to the common, sometimes outdated ideals of beauty. She also posted unedited nude photos of herself to stand up against fat shaming. For her progressiveness, Lizzo is loved and celebrated by her fans.

eth/AFP/Reuters