A Michigan rapper is taking legal action against Lyft after claiming a driver refused to pick her up, allegedly fearing she was too heavy for his car to handle.
Dajua Blanding, 36, who performs under the name Dank Demoss, captured the encounter on video earlier this month. The footage shows her arguing with the driver, insisting she could fit in his vehicle, while he repeatedly pushed back.
“I can fit in this car,” Blanding insisted in the video.
Dank Demoss selfie posted on her instagram, Photo Credit: dankdemoss/Instagram
“Believe me, you can’t,” the driver responded.
The driver ultimately canceled the ride, assuring Blanding she wouldn’t be charged. However, she has since filed a lawsuit against the rideshare company, claiming the incident left her feeling humiliated and discriminated against.
“I’ve been in cars smaller than that,” she said in an interview. “I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”
After posting the video to Instagram, reactions poured in—with many siding with the driver. Some suggested she should have opted for a larger vehicle, such as a Lyft XL, which is meant to accommodate more space.
Dank Demoss selfie posted on her instagram, Photo Credit: dankdemoss/Instagram
“It’s against the law to overload a car,” one commenter pointed out. “The driver was polite, explained his reasoning, and even apologized… try seeing things from another perspective.”
Despite the backlash, Blanding stood her ground. In the caption of her now-viral post, she accused Lyft of mistreating plus-sized riders.
“AM I WRONG?” she wrote. “Lyft, what do you have to say about this driver who discriminated against me? I feel like you all treat big people like s***. Like we don’t belong here.”
According to her lawsuit, Blanding alleges that the driver pulled up in a Mercedes-Benz sedan but locked his doors and attempted to leave upon seeing her. When confronted, she claims he told her she was too large to fit in the backseat and even suggested that her weight could damage his tires.
Back of a car with a lyft sticker, Photo Credit: FOX 5 Atlanta/Youtube
“What do I have to do with your tires?” Blanding is heard asking in the video.
Her attorneys, Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan, argue that the driver’s refusal to provide service violated Michigan law, which classifies weight as a protected characteristic.
“I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong,” Marko told Fox 2, comparing the situation to denying someone a ride based on race or religion.
Runyan emphasized: “Denying someone transportation based on their weight is not only illegal but dangerous. Imagine if Ms. Blanding had been left stranded in unsafe conditions—this could have ended even worse than it did.”
While some critics argued that the lawsuit unfairly targets a driver simply trying to protect his vehicle, Blanding has remained defiant. Days after sharing the original footage, she posted another Instagram video of herself in yoga shorts and a jacket, writing:
“Me tryna get Lyft to not discriminate against my weight and let me in the car! Would you let me in?? Anyways, meet me at the Sexxy Red afterparty.”
Blanding has previously opened up about her weight, revealing in December that she weighed over 500 pounds but had recently lost more than 40.
Side of a car and a driver that has been blurred, Photo Credit: FOX 5 Atlanta/Youtube
Lyft answered to the controversy in a statement, saying the company “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 clearly prohibit harassment or discrimination,” the statement read.
As the lawsuit moves forward, the case raises larger questions about passenger rights, driver discretion, and the fine line between personal safety concerns and discrimination in the gig economy.
Sources: Daily Mail