Lady Gaga’s choreographer Richard ‘Richy’ Jackson has been accused of toxic behaviour by 10 dancers.
Lady Gaga’s choreographer Richard ‘Richy’ Jackson has been accused of toxic behaviour by 10 dancers
The 43-year-old is said to have been abusive and used his power to demean staff “just because he could”.
Dancer Caroline Diamond claimed in a video: “He abused me, he embarrassed me, he made me feel terrible in the workplace, just because he could.
“Gaga was my dream... I chased it and I got it, and she is the dream, and then you get there, and this man makes your dream a nightmare.”
Rolling Stone said in a story published on Thursday 10 dancers had spoken out against Jackson.
It spoke with five dancers who echoed claims Jackson created a toxic working environment and what they labelled an “unsafe” and “unhealthy” workplace.
Two of the dancers said it led to them voluntarily quitting what was otherwise a dream job.
All the dancers who made allegations against the choreographer spoke highly of Gaga, 36, and stressed she “had nothing to do with the situation, as she wasn’t present for much of the dancers’ rehearsals with Jackson”.
Gaga’s team is now understood to be taking the dancers’ concerns seriously and looking into their allegations, according to Rolling Stone.
The claims come days before the start of Gaga’s twice-delayed ‘The Chromatica Ball’ tour – the singer’s first since 2017’s ‘Joanne’.
Former Gaga dancer Knicole Haggins told Rolling Stone hitting out at Jackson was an “opportunity for things to change for the better and for people to feel that they don’t have to be quiet in order to keep their job”.
Ex-dancer Sloan-Taylor Rabinor added: “My point in coming forward about this is seeking change. If I can positively impact or save a dancer from having an experience like this, so when these red flags come up, whether it’s with (Jackson) or it’s somebody else, that they can step outside and be like, ‘Oh, I know what this looks like, I know how to remove myself from that situation’.”
Jackson – nicknamed ‘Richy Squirrel’ by Gaga – has held the position of Gaga’s head choreographer since 2011.
He took over from his former boss Laurieann Gibson, 53, who created routines for Gaga’s music videos ‘Poker Face’, ‘Born This Way’ and ‘Telephone’.
Tagged in Lady GaGa