Detroit rapper Dank Demoss took a dramatic tumble during her high-energy performance at a local club on January 25, 2025. As she hyped up the crowd with her signature confidence, she lost her balance and fell backward onstage. Fortunately, her team reacted quickly, helping her up within seconds. Demoss, known for her bold personality, laughed off the incident and continued performing, reassuring fans that she wasn’t seriously injured.
Born Dajua Blanding, Dank Demoss is more than just a rapper—she’s a singer, model, and an outspoken advocate for plus-size representation. Hailing from Detroit, she has built a strong following on social media, boasting over 136,000 TikTok followers and 168,000 on Instagram. As the CEO of Foe Sho Doe Records, an independent label founded by her father, Demoss has carved out a space in the industry on her own terms. Her music, often infused with messages of self-love and empowerment, has resonated with fans worldwide.
Just a week before her onstage mishap, Demoss found herself at the center of a heated controversy with ride-sharing giant Lyft. On January 18, 2025, she attempted to book a ride to a Detroit Lions watch party but was refused service by a driver named Abraham. In a now-viral video, the driver can be heard saying that she was “too big” for his vehicle and suggesting she book an Uber XL instead. Demoss, visibly frustrated, recorded the interaction as the driver locked his doors and attempted to drive away. The incident quickly sparked outrage online, with many condemning the driver’s actions as discriminatory.
Demoss sued Lyft for multi-millions on January 29, 2025. Her lawyers say Lyft violated Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, a state anti-weight and anti-discrimination state legislation protecting citizens. Her case, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, seeks damages for mental anguish, legal fees, and Lyft altering its policies to prevent such incidents in the future. Lyft, in a general apology for any discrimination, hasn’t specifically addressed the case.
The issue has fueled heated debates over social media. Most of Demoss’s followers and admirers in the plus community have supported her, with many taking to social media with the hashtag #RideFair, urging ride-share companies to become more inclusive in terms of allowing passengers with larger sizes. Several fellow performers and social influencers have publicly criticized her, citing a larger issue of bias towards larger persons in general. Others have countered, stating that ride-share drivers have a right to deny passengers a ride in case a car cannot comfortably fit them in safely.
Demoss’s case isn’t about one denied ride alone but a rallying cry for the broader conversation about transportation and plus-size diversity in the media. Her case raises awareness about the barriers larger-bodied individuals face in ordinary experiences, such as career advancement and public accommodations. Activists demand stricter policies in ride-share programs to cease weight bias and enable access to transportation for all persons regardless of weight.