Megan Thee Stallion sued by former cameraman, accused of harassment and weight-shaming
Megan Thee Stallion is facing a lawsuit from a former cameraman who has accused the rapper of subjecting him to sexual harassment and weight-shaming comments.
Emilio Garcia, who worked as a personal cameraman for Megan Thee Stallion from 2018 to 2023, sued the "Hot Girl Summer" rapper in Los Angeles, accusing her of harassment and creating a hostile work environment, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
NBC News first reported the suit.
In one incident, Garcia alleged that Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, had sex with a woman beside him while they were in an SUV together after a night out in June 2022. He "was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal," and the next day, the rapper allegedly told him to never "discuss what you saw," the lawsuit claims.
In an interview with NBC News published Tuesday, Garcia said he "felt uncomfortable" and "was kind of frozen" and "shocked" during the alleged incident in the car, adding that he couldn't believe the "audacity to do this right, right beside me."
He also said he felt "degraded" by the rapper's alleged fat-shaming remarks and was surprised to hear them coming from "someone who advocates about loving your body."
Megan Thee Stallion's lawyer says lawsuit is 'an employment claim for money'
Additionally, the suit accuses Megan Thee Stallion of making fat-shaming comments toward Garcia, including telling him to "spit your food out" and that "you don't need to be eating." The "barrage of relentless sexual and fat-shaming comments" plunged Garcia "into profound emotional distress," the lawsuit states.
A lawyer for Megan Thee Stallion said in a statement to USA TODAY Tuesday evening that the lawsuit is "an employment claim for money ? with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her."
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"We will deal with this in court," attorney Alex Spiro added.
Garcia claims in the suit that the "harassment was so severe or pervasive," creating a "hostile, abusive work environment."
Emilio Garcia alleges he was weight-shamed by Megan Thee Stallion and retaliated against
After the SUV incident, Roc Nation allegedly altered Garcia's compensation structure in August 2022 in a way that resulted in him earning "significantly less."
Garcia also "noticed a change in how he was treated and saw a decrease in the number of bookings he received" from Megan Thee Stallion, the lawsuit says.
According to the suit, Garcia was told by Roc Nation that his "services would no longer be required" by Megan Thee Stallion in June 2023 after he had contemplated quitting due to the rapper's "possessiveness combined with lack of appropriate pay for the amount of time asked of him."
Garcia alleges his firing was "in retaliation for his complaints of wage and hour violations," and his suit states he was misclassified as an independent contractor during his time working for Megan Thee Stallion. He now "grapples with mounting anxiety, depression, and physical distress stemming from the toxic work environment, compounded by the trauma of unpaid work," the suit alleges.
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Garcia is represented by Ron Zambrano, an attorney who previously represented dancers who sued Lizzo for harassment last year. The "About Damn Time" singer has denied those allegations.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Zambrano said that Megan Thee Stallion "just needs to pay our client what he's due, own up to her behavior and quit this sort of sexual harassment and fat shaming conduct," adding, "Emilio should never have been put in a position of having to be in the vehicle with her while she had sex with another woman. 'Inappropriate' is putting it lightly. Exposing this behavior to employees is definitely illegal."
On Wednesday, in a follow-up statement to USA TODAY from Zambrano, the attorney said "it is not a surprise that the defendant, through her attorney, is denying the allegations."
"It is an utter lie that we have not alleged a hostile work environment based on the sex claim. It is literally the first claim listed in the lawsuit," Zambrano's statement continued. "None of this is intended to embarrass her but merely an attempt to hold her accountable for her illegal actions just as anyone else should be, celebrity or not. The reaction that my client should not have been offended or somehow thankful for being in a car while she had sex with another woman is an absolute double standard."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Megan Thee Stallion lawsuit: Cameraman alleges he was fat-shamed
