Lizzo Says Her Disappearance After Her ‘Scandal’ Was Intentional

• Lizzo opened up to Jay Shetty about her time away from the spotlight after she was hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit in August 2023
• The “About Damn Time” singer revealed she experienced her first panic attack because of the public scrutiny
• She explained how music and community helped her get through it

Lizzo is opening up about her time away from the public eye after she was sued by her former backup dancers in August 2023.

Speaking with Jay Shetty on his On Purpose podcast on Monday, April 7, the “About Damn Time” singer said that her disappearance was not a result of the scandal — but a much-needed way of “protecting my peace” she had already planned.

“I had planned on being off cycle. That means you’re not in the media, you’re not doing interviews. Your album cycle is done,” Lizzo, 36, explained. “And I think the best, most simplest answer as to why I am back now is ’cause my album’s done. This is my job, you know, I am a musical artist.”

She continued, “But I think it’s loaded this time because at the exact same time I was like, ‘I’m going on a vacation. I’m gonna be in Japan. I’m gonna go to Kyoto and be in the woods and disappear.’ I also had a huge scandal come out.”

At the time, she said, it appeared like she was “silenced or hiding” — but in reality it was just “the end of my album cycle.”

“This was planned… I’m in Japan, I’m in the woods, I’m meditating, and oh, this scandal just happened. Where’s Lizzo?,” she recalled. “So I’m aware of that. I’m cognizant of it and I’m up for the challenge of explaining this to the people who care about me cause they deserve to know, honestly.”

Lizzo returned from Japan in October of that year and immediately got to work in the studio. Upon her return, however, she found that she had been repressing her feelings and it all came crashing down.

“When I touched down in Los Angeles, it didn’t hit me how deeply affected I was because I had been trying to be happy for everyone else,” Lizzo recalled. “I had my first panic attack ever. I was in the car coming home from the airport and I was like, ‘Something’s wrong with my chest.’ I’ve dealt with anxiety for years, but this felt different.”

She continued, “And I had this thought, I was just like, ‘Everybody hates me. Everybody hates me for something that isn’t true.’ But at the end of the day, because of the position I’m in, everybody hates me and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

After the panic attack, she found her self in a “dark” place. Eventually, she found solace in community, making lifestyle changes and that grief into music — which is chronicled on her forthcoming album Love in Real Life.

“I go through this really, really tough s— man. And it’s fine because I have learned to use my alchemy and turn it into gold and turn it into meaningfulness and acts of rebellious joy that people can use in the world,” she said. “That’s my mission.”

Lizzo was first caught in legal trouble in August 2023 when three of her former background dancers filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against her. In the filing, the three dancer claim they were abused, harassed, discriminated against and faced numerous workplace violations while working for the singer and her Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc.

In February 2024, Lizzo attempted to dismiss the lawsuit and was denied. It remains ongoing.

During an appearance on the Baby, This Is Keke Palmer podcast in December, Lizzo opened up about the lawsuits and said she was “blindsided.”

“I was very deeply hurt because these were three ex-dancers, so they weren’t on the tour. They didn’t, like, finish the tour out with us. But even regardless of that, these were people that I gave opportunities to,” she said.

She continued, “These were people that — I liked them and appreciated them as dancers, respected them as dancers. So I was like, what? But then I heard all the other things like sexual harassment, and I was like, they’re trying well, I don’t know what they’re trying to do, but these are the types of things that the media can turn into something that it’s not.”

“Let’s be clear, I did nothing wrong,” Lizzo added.