Dank Demoss resolved her lawsuit against Lyft after a Detroit driver refused her a ride because of her size, prompting a viral video and legal action.
Dank Demoss settled her discrimination lawsuit against Lyft this summer after a driver in Detroit refused to give her a ride, claiming her weight would damage his car, according to court filings.
The 36-year-old rapper and influencer, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, captured the January incident on video when she ordered a Lyft to attend a Detroit Lions watch party.
As she approached the vehicle, the driver told her he couldn’t complete the ride.
“I can fit in this car,” Blanding said in the video. The driver replied, “Believe me, you can’t.”
He then claimed his tires couldn’t support her weight, apologized, and suggested she book an Uber XL instead. He also offered to cancel the ride so she wouldn’t be charged.
“I’ve been in cars smaller than that,” Blanding told FOX 2 Detroit. “I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.”
Her attorney, Zach Runyan, confirmed the lawsuit was “resolved” earlier this year but declined to share details of the agreement.
Blanding’s legal team argued that the denial of service based on her size was comparable to discrimination based on race or religion.
“I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong,” attorney Jonathan Marko said when the suit was filed.
Dank Demoss has built a following of more than 234,000 on Instagram, where she promotes body positivity and shares her music. Since 2019, she has released songs such as “So What,” “Feel My Pain,” and “No Love,” and has utilized her platform to address issues of discrimination and self-acceptance.
The video of the Lyft incident circulated widely online, prompting broader conversations about how ride-share companies handle bias. Lyft’s community guidelines prohibit discrimination based on physical traits, among other factors.
The company has not issued a public statement about the settlement.
Related