Plus-sized rapper sues US ride-hailing company Lyft after driver allegedly said she was ‘too big’ to fit in car

Plus-sized rapper sues Lyft after driver allegedly refused to give her a ride due to her size

29-year-old plus-sized rapper Dank Demoss revealed that she is suing the US ride-hailing company Lyft after one of their drivers allegedly refused to give her a ride because she was “too big”.

On 19 Jan, Demoss shared a video of the incident on Instagram, which has since gained 673,000 views.

Source: @dankdemoss on Instagram

“I’m sorry. I got no space. My car is small,” the driver is heard saying in the clip.

When Demoss insists that she can fit in the car, the driver responds, “Believe me you can’t… So I’m sorry. I’m gonna cancel [the ride]. You’re not gonna be charged.”

The driver also told Demoss to order a bigger car and that there was an issue with his car’s tyres.

Rapper sues Lyft & driver for discrimination due to weight

On 29 Jan, Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, announced on Instagram that she was filing a lawsuit, posting videos with her attorneys.

According to NBC News, she was suing Lyft and the driver for violating Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act which prohibits discriminatory acts against religion, race, colour, age, sex, and weight, among others.

Source: @dankdemoss on Instagram

The complaint stated that Demoss paid for a ride from her residence to a football watch party at her cousin’s home when a driver in a Mercedes-Benz sedan arrived.

However, when she tried to get in, the driver locked the doors and tried to drive away, she claimed.

The driver allegedly said Demoss was “too big” to fit in the back seat and that “his tyres were not capable of supporting Plaintiff’s weight”.

Image courtesy of @mercedesbenzsg on Instagram. For illustration purposes only.

Demoss was unable to attend her cousin’s party after this, causing her to suffer stress, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional damage.

The lawsuit also seeks compensation for attorney fees, costs and exemplary damages.

Demoss’ attorney, Zach Runyan, said in an email to USA Today that “refusing someone transportation based on their weight” was not only illegal but dangerous.

“Imagine the consequences if M. Blanding were unable to seek shelter after the driver left her stranded. This could have ended even worse than it did,” he said.

Lyft says it condemns “all forms of discrimination”

Lyft also responded to an email from USA Today, saying it “unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination”.

“We believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness. Our community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”

However, the company said it cannot comment on specific incidents involving pending litigation, adding that its drivers work as independent contractors.

Lyft also commented in Demoss’ initial Instagram post, saying they were disheartened by the driver’s “unacceptable behaviour” and asked the rapper to message them so they could address the incident.

Source: @dankdemoss on Instagram

Also read: Taxi driver in Thailand slashes passenger’s face after refusal to take ride request ends in argument

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Featured image adapted from @dankdemoss on Instagram & @dankdemoss on Instagram.