The shame game

American rapper and musician Melissa Viviane Jeferson, better known as Lizzo, has been dropped from consideration for a halftime appearance during next year’s Super Bowl.

The move comes shortly after the Grammy-award winning performer was accused by ex-employees of sexual harassment and fat-shaming in a hostile work environment.

“Talks of Lizzo being a part of the Halftime festivities, or performing the (US) national anthem, are dead now that she is surrounded by scandal,” a confidential well-placed source told the Daily Mail.

“It is becoming more and more difficult with more people coming forth accusing her of extremely inappropriate acts.”

The Super Bowl halftime show has become one of the most exclusive stages for performers since the 1990s.

Top musicians like  Michael Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry have graced the stage since New Kids on the Block became the first-ever pop musical act to perform during the show in 1991.

Rihanna was the most recent performer at the 57th Super Bowl held in February this year.

Although performers are not paid by the organising body, they typically see a spike in record sales and booked concerts in the immediate aftermath of a halftime performance.

For an artist like Lizzo, who has put out four albums spanning genres like soul, R&B and funk-pop, a performance like this could have cemented her as an icon within pop music.

Earlier this month, three of Lizzo’s tour dancers - Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez - filed a lawsuit against Lizzo and her production company, accusing them of sexual, religious, and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.

“Lizzo has raked in a massive amount of money but her minute is pretty much up it seems and no one knows if she will be able to recover from this,” the insider told reporters.

“If she speaks out, her statements are shredded. If she stays quiet, she is called a coward. Either way, it does not appear at this moment that she can recover from this.”