Jason Derulo has been sued by the singer Emaza Gibson for quid pro quo sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, a failure to remedy workplace harassment, and violation of California’s civil rights act. Gibson, who is seeking a jury trial for her complaint, alleged that Derulo pressured her to engage in sexual activity with him in exchange for career advancement. Gibson also described instances of aggression from Derulo, including one time when he allegedly charged at her.
“I’m at this point in my life right now, it’s very heartbreaking,” Gibson told NBC News. “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.”
According to the lawsuit filed on Thursday (October 5) and obtained by NBC, Derulo reached out to Gibson about signing with his Atlantic Records imprint Future History as a solo artist in 2021. The lawsuit alleges that after Gibson signed with Derulo, he began pressuring her to drink with him in the studio or out at dinner, invitations Gibson said she declined in the name of keeping their relationship professional. A comment Derulo allegedly made about a “goat skin and fish scales” ritual Gibson would be expected to participate in is cited in the suit, per NBC, as an “explicit demand for sex-in-exchange-for-success.” Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Derulo for comment.
Gibson’s lawsuit seeks unpaid wages, loss of earnings, and deferred compensation, as well as further emotional distress damages and employment benefits. The lawsuit states that Gibson’s contract with Atlantic Records was terminated in September 2022. The label allegedly dropped Gibson after a confrontational studio session with Derulo. According to the lawsuit, an A&R executive allegedly told Gibson and her mother in July 2022 that “the Atlantic team wants you to win, but I can’t say the same for Jason.” Gibson interpreted the termination as a result of her refusal to sleep with Derulo.
Her attorney Ron Zambrano shared in a statement with NBC: “[Derulo’s] threats of physical harm and unconscionable sexual advances toward this young woman who is just trying to break into the industry were outrageous and illegal.”
Jason Derulo released his most recent album, Everything Is 4, in 2015. In 2020, he released a special 10th anniversary edition of his debut self-titled album.
