Plus size rapper sues Lyft ‘after driver refused to take her over fears she’d burst his tires’

A plus-sized rapper is suing Lyft after claiming a driver refused to pick her up because he feared she was too big for his car and could “burst his tyres.”

Dank Demoss, 36, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, filmed her interaction with the Lyft driver earlier this month, showing her arguing with him about whether she could fit into his vehicle.

“I can fit in this car,” Demoss insisted in the video, which she shared on social media. In her caption, she said she felt “discriminated” against by the driver, asking, “AM I WRONG? Lyft, what have you all got to say about this driver who discriminated against me? I just feel like you all treat big people like s***. Like we don’t belong here.”

Demoss filed a lawsuit against Lyft, claiming the driver’s actions caused her emotional distress and humiliation. According to her legal action, the driver arrived in a Mercedes Benz sedan but locked his doors and tried to drive off when he saw her. When Demoss confronted him, he allegedly told her she was too big for the backseat and said her weight could damage his tires.

“What do I have to do with your tires?” Demoss responded, as heard in the video.

Blanding’s lawyers, Jonathan Marko and Zach Runyan, argued that the refusal to pick her up was discrimination, pointing out that in Michigan, weight is a protected characteristic. Marko compared the situation to discrimination based on race or religion. Runyan added that refusing someone a ride based on their weight was not only illegal but dangerous. “Imagine the consequences if Ms. Blanding had been stranded without shelter,” he said.

Despite some people defending the driver, Demoss stood firm, sharing another post on Instagram with the caption, “Me trya get Lyft to not discriminate against my weight and let me in the car!”

Lyft released a statement saying the company “unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination.” They also emphasized their commitment to treating everyone with respect and mutual kindness.

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