Lizzo Reveals She’s Taking a “Gap Year”
Originally appeared on E! Online
Lizzo is feeling good as hell about making music on her own timeline.
The 36-year-old announced that she is taking a year off to focus on herself in an Aug. 25 Instagram video of herself stepping out in the pouring rain while wearing a black swimsuit. She captioned the post, “I’m taking a gap year & protecting my peace.”
The Grammy winner released her fourth studio album, Special, in July 2022 and aside from recording the song “Pink” for the 2023 Barbie movie, she hasn’t released any new music since.
Lizzo’s announcement comes amid a difficult time for the “Good as Hell” singer, who faced a lawsuit last year by three of her former dancers.
In the August 2023 suit, three of her former dancers sued Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, for allegedly creating an “abusive work environment” and weight shaming them. Lizzo later denied these claims in an Instagram statement, calling the dancers’ accusations “sensationalized tales” and adding at the time, “Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it's never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren't valued as an important part of the team."
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Months later, Lizzo announced her plans to “quit,” as a result of the criticism from fans stemming amid the lawsuit.
"I'm getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet," she wrote on Instagram March 29. "All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I'm starting to feel like the world doesn't want me in it."
"I'm constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views," Lizzo continued, "being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look… my character being picked apart by people who don't know me and disrespecting my name."
Noting she "didn't sign up for this s--t," Lizzo concluded at the time, "I QUIT."
After fans became concerned that the statement meant the “Truth Hurts” singer was leaving her musical career behind, Lizzo later clarified her comments.
"What I'm not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music, which is connecting with people," she said in an April 2 Instagram video. "Because I know I'm not alone. In no way shape or form am I the only person who is experiencing that negative voice which seems to be louder than the positive."
