Lyft Sued After 489-lb Passenger Told She Can't Fit Inside Car

Detroit rapper and influencer Dajua Blanding, known by her stage name Dank Demoss, is suing Lyft after a driver refused to give her a ride, citing her weight.

Attorneys for Blanding, who weighs 489 pounds, filed the lawsuit, claiming the incident, which occurred earlier this month, violated Michigan's anti-discrimination laws, which include weight as a protected characteristic.

Newsweek has contacted Blanding via Instagram for comment.

Why It Matters

Michigan is the only state where weight is legally protected under anti-discrimination laws.

The incident is part of a wider conversation about how much responsibility companies should bear when it comes to accommodating plus-size customers.

What to Know

The incident went viral after Blanding uploaded it to TikTok on January 19, captioned "This Lyft driver denied me service because of my size." It had garnered 342,600 views by Tuesday January 28.

In the video, the Lyft driver told her, "I got no space. My car is small." Blanding insisted she could fit before he responded, "Believe me, you can't."

The driver, who identified himself in the video as Abraham cited concerns about his car's tires and a past experience with a passenger who couldn't fit in his vehicle as reasons for denying Blanding service. He suggested she order an Uber XL and assured her she would be refunded.

Blanding wrote in the video description that she was "humiliated and embarrassed."

Her attorney, Jonathan Marko, told Fox 2 Detroit that Michigan law treats weight discrimination the same as racial or religious discrimination.

Lyft, in a statement to Newsweek, reiterated that its terms of service explicitly prohibit discrimination of any kind.

Despite being refunded, Blanding told her followers the incident left her emotionally drained. She has since taken a break from social media, citing the need to recover from the experience.

What People Are Saying

Jonathan Marko, attorney for Blanding, to FOX 2 Detroit: "I knew that it was illegal, and I knew that it was wrong."

Dank Demoss, on Instagram: "THANK YOU TO MY LAWYERS MARKO & ZACH RUNYAN! FIGHTING FOR MY COMMUNITY MY PEOPLE AND MAKING CHANGE TO THE WORLD. NOT JUST FOR ME BUT EVERYONE."

Lyft, in a statement to Newsweek: "Lyft unequivocally condemns all forms of discrimination—we believe in a community where everyone is treated with equal respect and mutual kindness. Our community guidelines and terms of service explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination."

What Happens Next

Lyft has been served with the lawsuit, and legal proceedings are expected to move forward in the coming months.

Update 1/29/25, 2:12 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Lyft.