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Source: YouTube / Fox 2 Detroit
A popular Detroit rapper sparked controversy online after she claimed that her Lyft driver refused to allow her into his car earlier this month.
Dank Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, was recording when the driver of a Mercedes-Benz sedan locked his door and refused to allow her entry.
“I can fit in this car,” Blanding said in a video that was shared to social media on January 19. “Believe me, you can’t,” the driver responded–adding that the tires would not be able to handle her weight. According to The New York Post, the rapper has previously shared her weight as more than 480 pounds.
In her post on Instagram where she shared video of the event, the rapper wrote, “AM I WRONG?,” Demoss wrote in the post. “(Lyft) what y’all got to say about this yall driver discriminated against me…I JUST FEEL LIKE YALL TREAT BIG PPLE LIKE SH*T LIKE WE DONT BELONG HERE.”
The original garnered more than 11,000 likes and thousands of comments.
According to Fox 2 Detroit, the driver apologized for the inconvenience and offered to refund her money and assist her with ordering a larger vehicle.
“I’ve been in cars smaller than that,” she told FOX 2. “I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”
In addressing the issue, Lyft issued a statement, 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.”
However, Blanding’s attorneys, Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan have filed a lawsuit against the rideshare company.
Marko explained that as weight is a protected characteristic, the actions of the Lyft driver is the same as discriminating against someone due to their religious beliefs.
However, numerous social media users on X, in particular, are disagreeing with Blanding.
https://x.com/tournesolnao/status/1884219477447041202
It is unclear if the Lyft driver has been named in the lawsuit or has been let go by the company.
A Detroit rapper is suing Lyft for discrimination over allegations that one of the company’s drivers told her she was too large to fit inside his car.
In a lawsuit filed in Michigan court Monday (Jan. 27), Dank Demoss (Dajua Blanding) says the driver of a black Mercedes sedan told her during the Jan. 18 incident that she was “too big” for the backseat of his car and that “his tires were not capable of supporting plaintiff’s weight.”
“Defendant Lyft … unlawfully discriminated against plaintiff based on her weight,” Blanding’s attorneys write in the lawsuit, which was obtained by Billboard. Blanding, who has described herself as a “Big Beautiful Woman” on social media, says she was embarrassed, humiliated and suffered “mental anguish.”
The lawsuit comes after Blanding posted an alleged video of the incident to TikTok and other platforms, showing her arguing with the driver over his seeming refusal to take her.
Trending on Billboard
In the video, she can be heard telling the driver, “I can fit in this car,” after which he quickly responds, “Believe me, you can’t.” After telling Blanding that he’s “been in this situation before,” the driver can be heard saying that she needs to order a pricier “Uber XL” to accommodate her size.
Blanding’s post on TikTok has been viewed more than 345,000 times; another clip on Instagram has been liked more than 7,000 times.
In her complaint filed Monday, Blanding says the driver’s refusal violates Michigan’s civil rights laws, which prohibit any discrimination for public accommodations based on a variety of factors, including a person’s weight.
“Plaintiff’s weight was at least one factor that made a difference in defendants’ treatment of plaintiff and subjected her to a hostile environment,” her lawyers write.
In a statement to Billboard, a Lyft spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of a pending legal action, but stressed that its driver regulations “explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination.”
“Lyft unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination — we believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness,” the company said.
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Lyft, a major player in the rideshare market, proved that someone on its marketing team is most certainly a part of the Beyhive in classic fashion. After another rideshare social media account offered a discount on rides for fans going to Act II: Cowboy Carter listening parties, Lyft upped the ante in a major way.
With us being a neutral party, we won’t say the other rideshare company’s name although it won’t be hard to figure out as this story goes on. As it stands, the company in question offered a 16 percent discount on rides for fans on X (formerly Twitter) who wanted to attend listening parties for the latest album from Beyoncé, Act II: Cowboy Carter.
Lyft, taking note of the offer replies under the tweet from the other company writing “crumbs were left,” a nice little jab that we’ve seen in times past between major companies via their social media accounts.
After a fan suggested that Lyft sweeten the pot, the company responded by offering 50 percent off rides for those going to those aforementioned listening parties.
Now how is that for customer satisfaction?
While we don’t know if the other company is going to fire back just yet, for now, Lyft is the grand champion of the people AND the petty but the true winners are fans of Beyoncé who get to hear Queen Bey shift the culture once again with her latest album.
The singer recently suggested that while country music influences Act II: Cowboy Carter, this is still very much a Beyoncé album. We heard that. Also, we have to score a win for Lyft’s marketing team.
To take advantage of the 50 percent off rides with Lyft, use this code: SPAGHETTI24.
Check out the reactions to the playful back and forth on X and don’t forget, Act II: Cowboy Carter drops Friday, March 29.
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Photo: Getty
10. Okay, let’s not get carried away LOL
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