Lizzo Is Being Sued By Postmates Driver After Rapper Accused Her of Stealing Her Food
Lizzo is being sued by a Postmates courier after exposing the woman’s identity when she thought she may have stolen her food.
Tiffany Wells is suing for libel, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The lawsuit cites a September incident when the 31-year-old singer ordered dinner from the Postmates app, but failed to receive the food delivery.
“Hey @Postmates this girl Tiffany W. stole my food,” Lizzo wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “She lucky I don’t fight no more.” Lizzo then attached to the Tweet what appeared to be a screenshot of the Postmates app with a close-up photo of the courier along with her name.
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According to Postmates’ policies, if a courier is having trouble reaching a customer through the number provided in the app, they are to leave after five minutes.
The lawsuit alleges that Wells “spent more than ten minutes trying to contact the customer.”
Many of the singer’s loyal fans immediately jumped to Lizzo’s defense. “[m]e pulling up to Tiffany’s house and stomping on her ass bc she deprived my baby lizzo of her food,” wrote one fan on Twitter.
Lizzo deleted the original message and issued an apology the next day for “putting that girl on blast” — but by then, Wells “feared for her physical safety,” according to the lawsuit.
I apologize for putting that girl on blast. I understand I have a large following and that there were so many variables that could’ve put her in danger. Imma really be more responsible with my use of social media and check my petty and my pride at the door. 🥺
— Feelin Good As Hell (@lizzo) September 17, 2019
Wells learned of Lizzo’s original tweet from a number of texts and phone calls from friends and family, says the suit. “As a relatively private person, [Wells] was shocked to find out that Lizzo had plastered her face on the Internet for all to see,” it reads. “[Wells] was even more shocked to find out that her picture was accompanied by text accusing her of being a thief.”
The lawsuit accuses the singer of acting “with actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth,” resulting in immediate suffering in light of Lizzo’s popularity and prominent following on Twitter (1.2 million followers) and Instagram (6.3 million followers).
“[Wells] became fearful that someone may recognize her if she continued to deliver for Postmates,” the lawsuit continues. “Unsure as to what an individual or group of individuals may do to cause her harm if she were to be recognized in public, [Wells] was scared to leave her house and as a result was forced to stop delivering as a courier altogether — directly affecting her ability to earn a living.”
The former Postmates worker is now suing for “compensatory damages, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and such other legal and equitable relief.”
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“With celebrity status comes great responsibility,” Wells’ attorney Michael Rose told PEOPLE in a statement. “In this age of social media, Lizzo has incredible influence in the public sphere, and broadcasting our client’s identity – along with falsely accusing Ms. Wells of stealing from her – to her vast number of followers invited threats against our client and forced a private individual into the public eye without her consent,” the statement reads. “This sort of behavior, from Lizzo or any celebrity, cannot be tolerated. I am confident in Ms. Wells’ claims and have faith that the justice system will bring a fair and just resolution in her favor.”
A representative for Lizzo did not immediately respond for comment.
