Moments after playing what she called “the best show ever” at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Lizzo took to Twitter late Thursday night to call out a festival security guard she claimed tackled her team and used “hurtful language” in an incident that is now under investigation.
She called the security guard a “racist bigot.”
“Did anybody get footage of the security guard that tackled and attacked my team @Summerfest,” Lizzo posted around 11 p.m. Thursday. “They slapped and manhandled my hair stylist and stylist and I’m out for blood.”
In a second tweet posted shortly after, Lizzo shared a video of a security guard standing backstage who was the person she said “attacked my hair stylist and my stylist. … He tackled them to the ground and manhandled them and slapped them.”
“They’re keeping me from going over there and having my way with him, but I’m filming this right now just in case I need some evidence and just in case I need to put this on the internet,” Lizzo said in the video. “He needs to be in handcuffs.”
She asks the man for his name but he doesn’t respond.
“This racist bigot put his hands on my people and used hurtful language while tackling and dragging my team off the festival grounds,” Lizzo said in the tweet with the video, asking for anyone with footage to send it to her.
In a third tweet, Lizzo wrote, “That was the best show ever but I feel like I can’t even celebrate cuz racism don’t matter if you a headliner.”
Two hours after she first tweeted, the singer posted that she and her team planned to file a complaint against the guard.
Summerfest issued a response at about 1:30 a.m. Friday morning.
“Lizzo gave an incredible performance which she now feels is tarnished by events which occurred during the performance,” the statement reads. “We do not tolerate racism in any form. We will conduct a thorough investigation.”
“We have an experienced crowd management staff who strive to protect performers & fans,” the statement continued. “While there may be challenges during a performance, we expect those challenges to be handled professionally & respectfully. If those standards were not met, we will take appropriate action.”
Lizzo confirmed through Twitter that Summerfest had responded and will conduct an investigation, writing, “UPDATE: @Summerfest responded and will be investigating the guards who attacked my team! Thanks for the support and please send any footage you might have it all helps!”
The Journal Sentinel reached out to her publicist late Thursday night but has yet to hear back.
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