Jason Derulo was sued Thursday by an aspiring singer who was signed to his label in 2021. The singer, Emaza Gibson, is claiming the “Talk Dirty” artist insisted on “quid pro quo” sex for giving her a career a boost.
The suit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday, names Derulo, his manager Frank Harris, Atlantic Recording Corporation, RCA Records and Future History, Inc., which is a joint venture between RCA, Derulo and Harris, as defendants. Derulo is the cofounder and principal of Future and a supervising agent at Atlantic.
Plaintiff Gibson alleges sexual harassment, intimidation and violence, illegal retaliatory termination and breach of contract in the suit, which describes the actor and singer’s behavior as “despicable” and “another example of the music industry’s dark underbelly.”
Her attorney Ron Zambrano, a partner and employment litigation chair at West Coast Employment Lawyers, said that Derulo threatened “physical harm” and subjected Gibson to “unconscionable sexual advances” that were “outrageous and illegal.”
He also alleged that record label staffers were complicit with Derulo: “Executives knew of Derulo’s behavior without a care. No one should have to suffer through such treatment by their employer, and in this case, by someone who preyed on the plaintiff’s vulnerabilities and desire to succeed, then just threw her away like garbage when he didn’t get his way.”
Per the statement released on Gibson’s behalf on Thursday, Derulo acted as Gibson’s “mentor, supervisor and agent for Atlantic and Future” as they worked on her first album.
Derulo also allegedly told Gibson that if she wanted to be successful in 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,” the lawsuit states. “The manner and timing of such a statement meant that Derulo was demanding sexual acts from Plaintiff.”
Representatives for Derulo did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
In addition to his recording career, Derulo was also a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” and created the music competition “Project Icon,” which premiered in the U.K. in March.
NBC News first reported the story.
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