5 Shocking Ways Lizzo's Life Has Transformed: A 'Now And Then' 2025 Deep Dive

The trajectory of Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known globally as Lizzo, has never been a straight line, but her journey from a celebrated champion of self-love to a figure embroiled in legal and personal change has hit a dramatic peak in 2025. The narrative of the "About Damn Time" singer has shifted from one of pure, unadulterated joy and body positivity to a complex story of legal battles, a stunning physical transformation, and a complicated music comeback.

As of late 2025, Lizzo's public life is defined by a striking contrast between her past and present. Her once-unshakeable position as the face of the body positivity movement is now being re-evaluated following a significant personal health journey, while her professional life is dominated by a high-stakes appeal in a sexual harassment lawsuit and the surprise release of new music that she admits "kind of crumbled." This deep dive explores the five most profound shifts in Lizzo’s world, contrasting the "then" with her current reality.

Lizzo: The Full Biography and Career Timeline

• Full Name: Melissa Viviane Jefferson
• Born: April 27, 1988 (Age 37 in 2025)
• Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
• Residence: Los Angeles, California
• Occupation: Singer, Rapper, Songwriter, Flautist, Actress
• Musical Genres: Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Soul
• Notable Achievements: Multiple Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award for her reality show Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.
• Early Career (Then):
  • 2013: Released debut album Lizzobangers.
  • 2016: Released her first major-label extended play (EP), Coconut Oil, which marked her shift toward a pop career.
• Breakout Era (Then):
  • 2019: Achieved global stardom with the release of *Cuz I Love You* and the sleeper hit "Truth Hurts."
  • 2019: Starred in the film Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B.
• Recent Career Milestones (Now):
  • 2022: Released the critically acclaimed album Special, featuring the Grammy-winning hit "About Damn Time."
  • June 2025: Released the surprise mixtape My Face Hurts from Smiling.
  • 2025: Is expected to release the full-length album Love in Real Life.

1. The Dramatic Physical Transformation: From Body Positivity Icon to Health Journey Advocate

The most visible and widely discussed change in Lizzo's life is her profound physical transformation. Her "then" image was inextricably linked to the body positivity movement—a radical celebration of all body sizes, famously encapsulated in her "100% That Bitch" ethos. She was a beacon of self-acceptance for plus-size women globally.

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Now, in 2025, the narrative is entirely different. Lizzo has been open about achieving a long-term "weight release goal," a journey that began in early 2024. She has revealed a dramatic shift, including losing 16% of her body fat and dropping her BMI by 10.5 points. Her appearances at high-profile events like the 2025 Baby2Baby Gala and the Oscars have showcased her new figure in curve-hugging gowns, sparking both praise and controversy.

The complexity lies in her current commentary on the movement she once championed. Lizzo has expressed complicated feelings, noting that in the "Ozempic era," she feels plus-size women are being "erased" from the mainstream conversation, suggesting a struggle to reconcile her personal health journey with the political movement she helped define.

2. Legal Battles: The Shift from Superstar to Defendant

The "then" Lizzo was seen as untouchable, a global superstar whose biggest 'scandal' was playing a 200-year-old flute. The "now" Lizzo, however, is deeply entrenched in significant legal battles that have overshadowed her music career.

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• The Harassment Lawsuit (The Big Appeal): The biggest legal storm is the sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed by former backup dancers in 2023. While a California judge denied her initial motion to dismiss the case under the state's anti-SLAPP statute in early 2024, Lizzo and her legal team have since filed an appeal. Her defense is groundbreaking, asserting that some of the claims were part of her artistic process and are protected by First Amendment free speech rights. The case is currently on hold pending the outcome of this appeal.
• The New Copyright Lawsuit (2025): Adding to her legal woes, Lizzo was hit with a new copyright lawsuit in 2025 over an unreleased demo track titled "Good Jeans." This demonstrates the intensity of scrutiny on her work, where even a shared snippet of an unreleased song can trigger full copyright liability, a stark contrast to her earlier, less-scrutinized rise to fame.

3. The Music Comeback: From Chart Dominance to 'Crumbling' Plans

In her breakout "then" era, Lizzo was a force of nature, delivering back-to-back global hits like "Truth Hurts," "Good as Hell," and "About Damn Time." Her releases were guaranteed chart-toppers and cultural moments.

The "now" music reality in 2025 is more complicated. After a period of relative quiet, she surprised fans with the release of the mixtape My Face Hurts from Smiling in June 2025, as well as new singles such as "Love in Real Life" and "Still Bad." However, the singer herself admitted that her planned music comeback for 2025 "kind of crumbled" due to the ongoing legal challenges and the shifting dynamics of the music industry. This admission of struggle, of "flying by the seat of my pants," is a vulnerable and unexpected shift from the "100% That Bitch" persona of the past. While a new full-length album, Love in Real Life, is still anticipated, the rollout has been far from the triumphant, seamless campaigns of her past.

4. Public Relationships: From Private Life to Red Carpet Regular

For much of her "then" career, Lizzo kept her private life, especially her romantic relationships, largely out of the spotlight. This created a mystique around the superstar's personal world.

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Now, the current Lizzo is more open. She has frequently appeared in public with her long-time boyfriend, Myke Wright, making their relationship a staple of celebrity gossip and red carpet coverage. Their public appearances together at major 2025 events signify a deliberate choice to share a part of her personal life that was previously guarded, suggesting a new phase of comfort and openness despite the professional turmoil.

5. The Evolution of Activism: From Unfiltered Joy to Measured Commentary

Lizzo's "then" activism was often expressed through unfiltered, joyful exuberance. Her music and performances were a radical act of self-acceptance, and her message was one of universal, unapologetic love.

The "now" Lizzo's activism is more measured and politically charged. While she still champions self-love, her commentary in 2025 has focused on the systemic issues facing plus-size women in the media, particularly in the wake of the rise of weight-loss drugs. Her essay on the erasure of plus-size bodies in the Ozempic era is a sharp, political critique of a beauty standard that is constantly shifting. This shift from pure, infectious joy to a more complex, defensive, and intellectual commentary reflects a maturity and a necessary response to the intense scrutiny she has faced over the past two years, positioning her as a nuanced voice in an ever-changing cultural landscape.