Lizzo looked glamorous at the Beverly Hills event.Photo:Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
Lizzois speaking out amid herongoing legal woes.
“It’s easy to do the right thing when everybody’s watching you, and it’s what you do in those moments where nobody’s watching that defines who you are,” Lizzo — who wore a black strapless gown and black elbow-length gloves — said in her acceptance speech. “I’m going to continue to be who I am, no matter who’s watching.
“I’m going to continue to shine a light on the people who are helping people because they deserve it,” she said. “I’m going to continue to amplify the voices of marginalized people because I have a microphone and I know how to use it.”
“And I’m going to continue to put on and represent and create safe spaces for Black fat women because that’s what the f— I do,” she added.
Lizzo speaks onstage at the 2023 Black Music Action Coalition Gala at The Beverly Hilton on September 21, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
In June, the singer donated a quarter of a million dollars to Black-led organizations dedicated to helping Black communities likeThe Marsha P. Johnson Institute,Black Girls Smile,Save Our Sistersand theSphinx Organization, which earned her the award.
Her “Big Grrrrls” and “Big Boys” appeared to show solidarity with Lizzo on the evening, chanting, “We love her. We are and we will forever be L-I-Z-Z-O B-I-G G-R-R-L-S, we the best!”
In response, the"About Damn Time"singer shared alengthy statement on social mediadeclaring that she is “not the villain” and that the allegations being made against her were “too outrageous” not to address.
“There is nothing I take more seriously than the respect we deserve as women in the world,” Lizzo said in the statement. “I know what it feels like to be body shamed on a daily basis and would absolutely never criticize or terminate an employee because of their weight.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Earlier this week, the Grammy winner washit with another lawsuitfrom fashion designer Asha Daniels, who alleged that while Lizzopreached body positivityand inclusion, her employees were forced to work in a “racist and sexualized” environment.
“I was listening to this Black woman on this huge stage have this message of self-love and caring for others and being empathetic and being strong and standing up for others. And I was witnessing myself, the dancers and the background vocalists and my local team in every city be harassed and bullied regularly,” Daniels said, perNBC News.
source: people.com
