A plus-size rapper has settled a lawsuit with taxi giant Lyft after one of their drivers refused to take her because of her size.
Detroit rapper Dank Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, filed a discrimination lawsuit in January after being told by a Lyft driver she was too big for his car and could ‘burst his tyres’.
Blanding said in a past social media post she weighed over 500lbs, and previously shared in December that she was intending to lose weight and had lost over 40lbs.
Blanding, who filmed a video of the incident, told him ‘I can fit in this car’, to which he said: ‘Believe me, you can’t’.
The driver then apologised and suggested she order an Uber XL, a larger and more expensive vehicle, adding that he would refund her Lyft so she wouldn’t be charged.
Her attorney, Zach Runyan, told local media earlier this month that the matter has now been resolved, but could not speak about further details.
Runyan, along with Blanding’s other attorney Jonathan Marko, argued that the driver refusing to take her constituted discrimination because weight is a protected characteristic in Michigan.
‘I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong,’ Marko told Fox 2 at the time, equating the refusal to pick Blanding up ‘no different than refusing someone transportation based on their race or religion.’
Plus-size rapper Dank Demoss (pictured) has settled a lawsuit with taxi giant Lyft after one of their drivers refused to take her because of her size
Plus-sized rapper Dank Demoss has sued Lyft after claiming a driver refused to pick her up over fears she was too big to fit in his car and could ‘burst his tyres’
Runyan added: ‘Refusing someone transportation based on their weight is not only illegal, but dangerous… Imagine the consequences if Ms. Blanding were unable to seek shelter after the driver left her stranded. This could have ended even worse than it did.’
Though she may have settled with Lyft, the incident left her feeling scarred at the time.
‘I’ve been in cars smaller than that,’ she told Fox 2 earlier this year, adding: ‘I just want them to know that it hurt my feelings.’
After Blanding shared the video to her Instagram, many jumped to the driver’s defense and said she should have listened to his recommendation to order a larger XL.
‘It’s against the law to overload a car,’ one commenter said in response. ‘The driver was very polite, he explained his valid reasons, and even apologized… try seeing things from another’s perspective.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Lyft for comment.