Jason Derulo Denies ‘False and Hurtful’ Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Claims
Update: 10/6/23 at 4:40 p.m. ET: Derulo denied the claims against him in an Instagram video he shared on Thursday, October 5, after news of the lawsuit broke. “I wouldn’t normally comment but these claims are completely false and hurtful. I stand against all forms of harassment and I remain supportive of anybody following their dreams,” he said in the clip. “I’ve always strived to live my life in a positively impactful way, and that’s why I sit here before you deeply offended by these defamatory claims. God bless.” Original story continues below: Jason Derulo is facing a lawsuit over alleged sexual harassment. Singer Emaza Gibson filed a lawsuit on Thursday, October 5, in a Los Angeles court alleging that Derulo, 34, made inappropriate passes at her after recruiting her for a record deal. “While recording music, Derulo informed [Gibson] that if she wanted to be successful in ‘this business’ (aka the music industry), [she] would be required to partake in ‘goat skin and fish scales,’ whi
Update: 10/6/23 at 4:40 p.m. ET:
Derulo denied the claims against him in an Instagram video he shared on Thursday, October 5, after news of the lawsuit broke.
“I wouldn’t normally comment but these claims are completely false and hurtful. I stand against all forms of harassment and I remain supportive of anybody following their dreams,” he said in the clip. “I’ve always strived to live my life in a positively impactful way, and that’s why I sit here before you deeply offended by these defamatory claims. God bless.”
Original story continues below:
Jason Derulo is facing a lawsuit over alleged sexual harassment.
Singer Emaza Gibson filed a lawsuit on Thursday, October 5, in a Los Angeles court alleging that Derulo, 34, made inappropriate passes at her after recruiting her for a record deal.
“While recording music, Derulo informed [Gibson] that if she wanted to be successful in ‘this business’ (aka the music industry), [she] would be required to partake in ‘goat skin and fish scales,’ which is a Haitian reference referring to conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat, goat blood and doing cocaine,” court documents obtained by Us Weekly claim.
The filing alleges that “the manner and timing of such a statement meant that Derulo was demanding sexual acts from [Gibson] in order for Derulo to fulfill his role as her mentor, supervisor and musical collaborator.” Us has reached out to Derulo and to Gibson’s legal team for comment.
Gibson, 25, alleges in the suit that Derulo’s “explicit demand for sex in exchange for success was reinforced” through his “subsequent behavior.” She claims that the “Whatcha Say” singer “repeatedly invited” her to have dinner and drinks and would “often schedule recording sessions at late-night hours.”
Gibson also recalls an alleged incident where she accepted an alcoholic beverage from Derulo, feeling like she had “no choice but to accept the offer from the person that was essentially her boss and access to excel in her work,” and then “immediately tasted inappropriately large amounts of alcohol” in the drink. Gibson claimed that Derulo encouraged her to take another sip, which she refused.
In addition to the alleged sexual harassment, Gibson claims that Derulo “lunged at her” when she arrived at a June 2022 recording session to berate her for being late. “Derulo screamed within inches of [Gibson’s] face, ‘I don’t know who you think you are! You’re supposed to be here before me! You need to plan better!,’” the lawsuit alleges.
Gibson — who is seeking an unspecified amount of unpaid wages, loss of earnings, deferred compensation and other employment benefits and damages for emotional distress as part of the suit — opened up about the alleged experiences detailed in the lawsuit during an interview with NBC News published on Thursday.
“I told him that I wasn’t a drinker … so it’s like, you know, you’re not listening to that the first time I tell you, and you’re still pushing on me,” she said. “It’s, like, pressure at this point.”
The musician, who describes herself as a “humanitarian” and an “activist” in her Instagram bio, said that working with Derulo was “a no-brainer” for her when she was first offered the opportunity. However, she now feels “traumatized” by the experience.
“I’m at this point in my life right now, it’s very heartbreaking,” she said.“I have anxiety; I’m traumatized. I’ve dealt with inhumane work situations. … I’m at this point where I’m back to zero and I have nothing.”
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