Dajua Blanding, a Detroit rapper who goes by the name of “Dank Demoss,” is suing Lyft after a driver for the rideshare company allegedly denied her a ride and prevented her from entering his car due to her weight.
CBS 12 reported that Blanding recently announced on social media that she weighs 489 pounds. In a video shared on Instagram, Blanding can be heard assuring a Lyft driver that she can fit into his vehicle, prompting the rideshare driver to say, “Believe me, you can’t.”
Asked about the money she paid for the ride, the driver said, “I’m gonna cancel. You’re not gonna be charged.”
Throughout the video, the driver repeatedly explained that his vehicle was not able to accommodate the 489-pound rapper. The driver can be heard apologizing to Blanding, explaining that his tires were unable to handle the additional weight, and encouraging Blanding to order an Uber XL to receive a ride in a larger vehicle.
In a caption to the Instagram video, Blanding wrote, “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 SHYT LIKE WE DONT BELONG HERE.”
Following the recent incident with Lyft, Blanding told Fox 2, “I’ve been in cars smaller than that. I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”
According to Fox 2, attorneys Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan are representing Blanding in her discrimination lawsuit against Lyft. Addressing the Lyft driver’s decision to deny Blanding a ride, Marko said, “I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong.”
Fox 2 reported that Marko cited weight as a protected characteristic in Michigan and argued that state law prevents companies from denying a person a ride based on their weight.
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In a statement obtained by The Daily Caller, the Detroit rapper said, “If I stand for something, I’ll fall for anything. Fighting for my community, my people, and making a change in the world, not just for me, but for everyone.”
Meanwhile, a Lyft spokesperson released a statement following the incident, saying, “Lyft 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.”
