Rapper Dajua Blanding, known to her fans as Dank Demoss, has once again sparked a debate after posting a revealing photoshoot on her TikTok last Friday (March 14).
Blanding, who weighs nearly 500 pounds, made headlines in January when she sued the rideshare company Lyft for discrimination after a driver refused her ride due to concerns about his car’s capacity.
“I can fit in this car,” Blanding recorded herself telling the driver, who replied with, “Believe me, you can’t. I’m sorry. I’m going to cancel. You’re not going to be charged,” before telling her to order a larger vehicle.
Following the incident, which ended with Lyft taking Blanding’s side, the rapper capitalized on the spotlight the controversy had put on her with a set of bikini photos. Instead of boosting her musical career, the images caused netizens to worry about her health.
The plus-size rapper who became famous after suing Lyft for weight discrimination followed up her lawsuit with a revealing photoshoot
The images show Blanding posing with a curly, vibrant pink wig and matching round glasses. She wore a beige bikini, posing confidently while pulling at the waistband of her bikini bottoms.
The rapper posed alongside her small, light brown dog in most photos, which was dressed in a matching pink outfit.
While some praised the photoshoot as an empowering statement, others expressed concerns about the potential health implications of being that size.
Comments flooded her social media, with one user asking, “I’m not trying to be mean, but how can you breathe and actually feel good at that size? Like, what if you have asthma and you’re that big?”
Another commenter added, “This isn’t great, but it’s definitely an interesting display of how durable the human body is. Like, how does the human body transform to even look like this and still function?”
Online discussion surrounding the pictures quickly became divisive, however, with concern giving way to meaner and more insulting comments, personally attacking the rapper for showing her body.
The rapper opted to take the photos off her social media after her profile was flooded with negative comments
Despite her supporters leaving positive comments, praising her for her confidence and willingness to put herself out there, their words of encouragement were not enough to drown out the criticism she was receiving.
As a result, Blanding was forced to delete the images from both her Instagram and TikTok profiles, with only a video showing the photoshoot’s production process remaining.
Comments on that video followed the same trend, with mainly negative takes on her weight and references to her controversy with the Lyft driver.
Despite the negativity surrounding her social media presence, the lawsuit also brought her the support of many who believed her case to be important for plus-size individuals across the nation.
The state of Michigan, where the incident occurred, considers weight-based discrimination unlawful. Blanding’s legal team has continued to pursue the lawsuit, seeking justice not just for her, but for the broader community of plus-size individuals who feel marginalized.
Experts urge users to take their vehicle’s weight limit into consideration but explain that a single ride is unlikely to cause long-term damage
“Cars do have a max weight limit and a recommended weight distribution,” explained car and motorcycle technician Cristian Vergara to Bored Panda.
“This information is usually found on a vehicle’s placard or user manual and varies depending on the type of car, its tires, and other factors,” he added.
Manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz include guidelines that help users calculate the combined weight of occupants and cargo for each of their models in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.
“A Sedan usually supports around 800-850 lbs. (385kg) of maximum extra load between passengers and cargo,” the mechanic explained.
“It’s important for people to take this into account to avoid damaging the vehicle over long periods of time.”
While Vergara recommended users be careful when exceeding their vehicle’s recommended payload capacity, he nevertheless stressed that a single ride is unlikely to result in any long-term damage.
“I like her.” Supporters of the rapper praised her for remaining confident in the face of internet backlash
