LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The choreographer for Lady Gaga has denied being a bully, claiming that those who have accused him of bullying were infuriated by genuine criticism of their poor dancing. In the months leading up to Gaga's 2022 Chromatic Ball tour, Richy Jackson, who has collaborated with the singer on numerous tours and her 2018 smash movie 'A Star Is Born', reportedly mistreated his backup dancers.
He was accused of intimidating and bullying the artists during their auditions for the tour; some even said he was the reason they decided to leave the business permanently. Jackson has responded, claiming that his accusers made up the allegations against him in retaliation for being passed up for Gaga's explosive stage performances.
Who is Richy Jackson?
American dancer, choreographer, and creative director Richard "Richy" Jackson is from the San Francisco Bay Area and is well known for his work with Lady Gaga. Jackson has always had a passion for dancing, and in 1999 he left Tuskegee University and relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a professional dancer after witnessing his high school buddy Aaliyah perform on television.
Jackson worked as Michael Rooney's assistant choreographer and has performed for a number of musicians, including Missy Elliott and Usher. Later, Jackson worked as Laurieann Gibson's assistant choreographer, choreographing, collaborating, and performing for artists including Cimorelli, Keri Hilson, Brandy, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Sean "Puffy" Combs, as per reports.
'I feel like they threw me under the bus'
Talking about the accusations, he said, "I think to save face, for their pride, for their ego, they said, 'We walked away,' as opposed to, 'I just wasn't asked back; I feel like they threw me under the bus for that." Jackson said that he hasn't spoken out about the accusations since they first surfaced because he didn't want to interfere with Gaga's current tour. He continues to work with the megastar and is recognized as one of the best choreographers in the industry right now. However, eleven dancers had complained about Jackson last summer, just before the tour started in July 2022, saying it was a misery to work with him, as reported by DailyMail.
'He made me feel terrible'
Among the many complaints were that he tormented the dancers, intentionally humiliated them, and instilled a hostile, "toxic" work atmosphere. At the time, Caroline Diamond, one of the dancers, told Rolling Stone magazine, "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."
Celine Thubert, a French dancer, claimed her "dream job" was "crushed by a toxic person," and two other dancers alleged his behavior caused them to quit professional dancing for good. According to Thubert, Jackson called her names and made fun of her accent, in addition to removing her from the Poker Face music video shoot without giving her a chance to say anything. Jackson now maintains that the allegations made against him left him perplexed and that he believed the people who fabricated them did so out of resentment over not being invited on tour.
