A Detroit-based rapper is making national headlines after a routine Lyft ride turned into a viral moment—and a major civil rights lawsuit.
Dajua Blanding, 36, who performs under the name Dank Demoss, claims a Lyft driver discriminated against her earlier this month after arriving in a Mercedes sedan and refusing to let her into the vehicle. According to Blanding, the driver locked the doors and canceled the ride, allegedly telling her she was “too big” to fit and that her weight might “burst his tires.”
Blanding filmed the uncomfortable encounter, replying: “I’ve been in cars smaller than that.” The footage has since gone viral, sparking heated debate across social media. While some commenters have defended the driver—suggesting she should have ordered a larger vehicle like a Lyft XL or that drivers can decline rides if they feel unsafe—Blanding’s legal team argues this wasn’t about safety; it was about illegal discrimination.
Michigan’s Unique Civil Rights Law Could Make This a Landmark Case
What makes this case different is Michigan’s Elliott–Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), which is one of the few laws in the U.S. that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on weight or height. While most states offer no such protection, Michigan’s law could give Blanding a strong legal foundation to argue that Lyft and its driver violated her civil rights.
Her attorneys are expected to argue that the incident represents a broader pattern of bias, not just a personal slight—and that gig economy companies like Lyft must be held accountable for how their drivers treat passengers with non-traditional body types.