Dajua Blanding, known by her stage name Dank Demoss, is taking legal action against Lyft and an unidentified driver, alleging that she was denied a ride due to her weight.
The plus-sized rapper claims that on January 18, she ordered a Lyft to get from her home to her cousin’s place for a football game watch party.
The driver – known only as John Doe – arrived at Blanding’s Detroit-area home about 10 to 15 minutes later. But when she approached the vehicle expecting to get in, things didn’t go as planned.
In a clip shared by the influencer on TikTok, the woman is heard arguing with the driver, who politely explains his car can’t handle her weight.
“What makes you think I can’t fit in this car?” she asks the operator of the Honda Civic. After the two share some more (inaudible) words, the driver then says, “To be more specific with you, I’ve got very tired tires.”
When Blanding debates, “What I got to do with your tires?” the driver then points to the back of his seat and says, “You have no space…I have no space in the back.”
Eventually, the driver canceled the ride and left, leaving Blanding unable to attend her cousin’s watch party. Feeling humiliated and wronged, she decided to take legal action.
‘Too big to fit’
On January 27 Blanding filed a lawsuit against Lyft and the driver, claiming her civil rights were violated.
“Specifically, as Plaintiff walked towards the vehicle, Defendant John Doe locked the doors to his vehicle and attempted to drive away,” the lawsuit alleges, according to People.
The filing claims that Doe refused her a drive because “she was too big to fit in the back seat” and “his tires were not capable of supporting Plaintiff’s weight.”
Doe also recommended Blanding request a Lyft XL, larger vehicles that can fit up to six passengers, according to the company’s website.
Part of this conversation can be heard in the TikTok clip: “I don’t never have to order an Uber [Lyft] XL,” Blanding insisted, claiming that “she did not require a bigger car.”