Detroit rapper Dank Demoss has filed a lawsuit against Lyft, accusing the ride-sharing service of discriminating against her because she is overweight.
Dank Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, filed the legal documents in a Wayne County courtroom after a Lyft driver refused to give her a ride to a Detroit Lions football watch party due to her weight.
Dank Demoss said the driver drove off on her and canceled the ride
The rapper told Detroit’s Fox 2 news that she knew she was going to encounter a conflict with the driver by observing his facial expressions as he pulled up beside her.
Knowing what was in store, Demoss pulled out her cellphone and recorded next to a silver car, telling the driver, “I can fit in this.”
In turn, the driver reportedly said, “Believe me, you can’t.”
Incensed by the indignity, Demoss sought legal redress for discrimination based on weight, which is outlawed in Michigan.
“AM I WRONG ? @lyft what yall got to say about this yall driver discriminated against me ….. I JUST FEEL LIKE YALL TREAT BIG PPLE LIKE S**T LIKE WE DONT BELONG HERE,” Demoss penned in the footage shared on Instagram.
Dank Demoss is protected under Michigan laws, attorney states
Demoss told her attorney she experienced “emotional distress and humiliation.” Additionally, Demoss’ attorneys, Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan, said the incident is “no different than refusing someone transportation based on their race or religion.”
Runyan added that “Refusing someone transportation based on their weight is not only illegal, but dangerous… Imagine the consequences if Ms. Blanding were unable to seek shelter after the driver left her stranded. This could have ended even worse than it did,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.
Many social media users lambaste Dank Demoss for filing a frivolous lawsuit
While Demoss does have sympathizers in this predicament, most were not very sympathetic to the rapper’s plight on social media.
“Girl, why not get the XL ride you did this on purpose,” said one user in the comments section of The Shade Room.
A second person assessed that “This isn’t the same as racism she knew she couldn’t fit in that little car,” while a third opined: “America should cease promoting such absurdity. The focus should be on assisting this girl in combating obesity, not on frivolous lawsuits against Lyft. This is utterly preposterous and a clear misuse of the court’s time…”
A woman who understands the struggle had this to say: “As a big girl, myself, she’s doing too much,” while a fourth person added, “Girl it’s a wake-up call.”
