Rapper Settles Lawsuit Against Lyft Over Discrimination Claim

Detroit, MI – Plus-size rapper Dank Demoss, known as Dajua Blanding, has settled a lawsuit against Lyft after a driver allegedly refused to take her because of her weight. The lawsuit originated in January when Blanding reported an incident in which a Lyft driver told her that she was too large for his vehicle, claiming she could ‘burst his tires.’

Blanding stated that she weighs over 500 pounds and shared her journey of losing 40 pounds on social media. During the incident, she filmed her interaction with the driver, asserting, ‘I can fit in this car,’ to which he responded, ‘Believe me, you can’t.’

The driver later apologized and suggested that she order a more expensive XL vehicle, promising to refund her original fare so she would not incur additional costs. Zach Runyan, Blanding’s attorney, confirmed that the matter has been resolved but declined to share further details.

Runyan and Blanding’s other attorney, Jonathan Marko, argued that the driver’s refusal constituted discrimination, as weight is a protected characteristic under Michigan law. Marko compared the incident to denying service based on race or religion, stating, ‘I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong.’

Runyan emphasized the dangers of refusing transportation to someone based on weight, saying, ‘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.’

Blanding expressed that despite settling, the incident left her feeling hurt. ‘I’ve been in cars smaller than that,’ she noted while reflecting on the experience.

Despite support for Blanding, some commenters sided with the driver on social media, arguing that she should have considered ordering a larger vehicle. ‘It’s against the law to overload a car,’ one commenter pointed out, and others mentioned that the driver handled the situation politely.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lyft for a comment regarding the settlement.