Honk News (Detroit, MI) – Detroit rapper Dank Demoss has filed a lawsuit against the ride-share company Lyft, claiming she was denied entry to a car she requested due to her weight.
Dajua Blanding, known as Demoss, posted a video on Instagram on January 19 showcasing an encounter with a purported Lyft driver who refused to give her a ride.
“I’m sorry. I got no space. My car is small,” the driver says in the clip.
“I can fit in this car,” Demoss, 29, replies.
“Believe me you can’t. … So I’m sorry. I’m gonna cancel [the ride]; you’re not gonna be charged,” the driver replies.
“So you’re telling me I can’t get in the Lyft because I can’t fit in your car? … So are you really telling me I’m too big to get in your car so I’ve got to order another Lyft?” Demoss says.
The driver responds, “Yeah, you need to order a bigger car.”
He mentions that a problem with his tires is the reason she is unable to ride in the car.
On Tuesday, Demoss took to social media to announce the lawsuit, sharing videos featuring herself alongside her attorneys.
A lawsuit has been initiated in Wayne County Circuit Court in Michigan targeting Lyft and a driver named John Doe. The complaint alleges violations of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which forbids discriminatory actions based on various factors including religion, race, color, age, sex, height, weight, and familial status.
On January 18, Demoss reportedly paid for a Lyft ride from her home in Detroit to attend a football watch-party at her cousin’s place.
A lawsuit claims that when the driver pulled up in a Mercedes-Benz sedan and she attempted to enter, he locked the doors and attempted to flee the scene.
He stated that Demoss was “too large” to accommodate the back seat and that “his tires were unable to bear Plaintiff’s weight,” according to the complaint.
According to reports, he drove away, leaving Demoss unable to make it to her cousin’s party. The complaint states that she endured stress, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional harm.
“Defendant Lyft, through its agents, representatives, and employees, unlawfully discriminated against Plaintiff based on her weight, treated her differently from similarly situated individuals based on weight, and allowed Plaintiff to be subjected to unlawful harassment based on her weight,” the complaint says.
The legal action aims to recover expenses related to legal representation, associated costs, and punitive damages.
