Detroit rapper Dank Demoss is taking Lyft to court after a driver allegedly refused to give her a ride due to her size.
The rising hip-hop star, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the ride-share company, arguing that the interaction was not only humiliating but a clear case of bias.
The incident unfolded after Demoss requested a ride through to the ride-share company to a Detroit Lions watch party. Dank Demoss recorded her exchange with the Lyft driver, who allegedly denied her entry into his vehicle because she wouldn’t fit in his sedan. He also stated that his tires were unable to support her weight.
In a now-viral TikTok video, she captured the moment the driver denied her entry on her cell phone. Dank Demoss weighs 489 pounds (approximately 221.8 kg).
“I can fit in this car,” she could be heard telling the driver, to which he responded, “Believe me, you can’t.”
The driver maintained that his tires could not support Demoss’ weight. While they were talking, the driver recommended that Demoss request an Uber XL, a bigger ride-sharing vehicle. The man expressed regret and mentioned he would reimburse her for the cost of the ride.
Feeling disrespected and discriminated against, Demoss is now fighting back through the legal system. She argues that no one should be denied service because of their size and is holding Lyft accountable for what she believes is a violation of her rights.
Demoss has hired lawyers Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan to file a discrimination lawsuit against the ride-share company.
The grievance submitted to Marko Law states that Demoss requested a Lyft ride from her home to a family gathering. When Demoss approached the car, which was a Mercedes Benz sedan, the driver reportedly locked the doors and began to pull away.
Demoss’ lawyer pointed out that weight is a characteristic protected by law in Michigan. Lyft drivers are permitted to refuse passengers if there are perceived safety concerns, but they cannot decline based on protected characteristics like weight, religion, or race.
“It would be no different than a driver pulling up and saying, ‘I don’t want to have Black people in my car, I don’t want to have Christians in my car, or Muslims, it’s the same,” Marko argues. “Under the law, it’s the same.”
“I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong,” Marko said.
Lyft has issued a statement concerning the incident.
“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.”
