Lizzo fans were shocked to learn this week that the singer faces serious accusations of workplace abuse. Three former backup dancers are suing her for sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
Their allegations are disturbing, including an anecdote about inappropriate behavior with nude performers at a club. According to the lawsuit, Lizzo pressured employees to touch a performer’s breasts and eat bananas “protruding from the performers’ vaginas.”
Coupled with accusations of fat-shaming and bullying, these accusations destroyed many Lizzo fans’ faith in the singer. Some fans also realized the allegations cast a new light on Lizzo’s song “Rumors,” where she sings about making people sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).
@splotchmaker AHHHH #rumors #lizzo #biggrrls #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Leah
A clip from Lizzo’s “Rumors” video is now going viral on TikTok. Posted by TikToker @Splotchmaker, it quotes the lyrics, “Had to cut some hoes loose yeah/NDA, no loose lips./Now them hoes tryna sue me/bitch I don’t give two shits.” The TikToker simply captioned it, “Uh oh…”
Back in 2021, people interpreted this track as an empowerment anthem, striking back against haters and criticism in the press. According to Genius Lyrics, the lawsuit lyric was a reference to songwriting conflicts over issues like the authorship of “Truth Hurts.”
Now, people are speculating about the real meaning behind lines like, “NDA, no loose lips.”
It’s not unusual for people in the entertainment industry to sign NDAs to protect celebrities’ privacy and intellectual property. However, NDAs also face criticism as a potential tool to silence abuse accusations. In fact, a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company described NDAs as Harvey Weinstein‘s “secret weapon.”
In that context, these “Rumors” lyrics gain a dark secondary meaning. Based on the song’s creative timeline, however, it probably isn’t a direct reference to the new allegations. The backup dancer lawsuit pertains to incidents between 2021 and 2023, but Lizzo wrote “Rumors” in 2020.
