Topline
A former cameraman for Megan Thee Stallion has filed a lawsuit against her claiming harassment, labor code violations and alleging she created a hostile work environment by allegedly berating him for eating too much, overworking him and, in one instance, having sex in front of him when he was unable to escape the situation; the rapper has not yet responded to the allegations.
Key Facts
Emilio Garcia on Tuesday filed a complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, along with her self-named entertainment company, management agency Roc Nation and her tour company, Hot Girl Touring.
Garcia claims he was in an SUV during a tour in Ibiza, Spain in June 2022 when the rapper started having sex with another passenger in the car, which Garcia said he was stuck in both because the car was moving and he was “in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country.”
In the complaint, Garcia claims Megan Thee Stallion approached him the next day and said: “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.”
During the same trip in Spain, Garcia said Megan Thee Stallion fat shamed him, accusing her of saying things like “You don’t need to be eating” and calling him a “Fat b—-h.”
Garcia also alleges a litany of labor violations, claiming he was misclassified as a contractor while working for Megan Thee Stallion’s companies and therefore not provided the protections of a full-time employee, was required to work “during all waking hours of a day” without proper compensation and was told he couldn’t work for other clients.
Garcia is requesting he be reimbursed for unpaid wages and paid an unspecified amount of damages in the case; he worked for Megan Thee Stallion from 2019 to June 2023, when her management company told him that his “services would no longer be required,” according to the lawsuit.
Representatives for Megan Thee Stallion did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment Tuesday.
Crucial Quote
“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,” Ron Zambrano, Garcia’s attorney, said in a statement. “‘Inappropriate’ is putting it lightly. Exposing this behavior to employees is definitely illegal.”
Key Background
Megan Thee Stallion had her breakthrough moment in 2019 with the release of “Hot Girl Summer,” which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks. She has since won two Grammy Awards. In 2020, she made headlines for her personal life when she was shot in the foot by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, who last year was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the shooting. She’s also been the subject of media attention for her legal dispute with record label 1501 Certified Entertainment and apparent beef with fellow female rapper Nicki Manaj.
Big Number
33. That’s how many songs Megan Thee Stallion has had on the Billboard Hot 100. “Savage” ft. Beyonce was her longest-charting song at 28 weeks, including one week in the No. 1 spot.
