A former employee is suing Megan Thee Stallion, describing a slew of labor violations.
Megan Thee Stallion is a beloved star, a talented performer, the victim of a horrific crime, and everyone’s celebrity crush.
But according to a cameraman who previously worked for her, she was responsible for a toxic workplace culture of harassment.
The lawsuit against the rapper cites nine labor code violations, including harassment and hostile work environments.
But who is Emilio Garcia?
Emilio Garcia worked for Megan Thee Stallion from 2018 until 2023
On Tuesday, April 23, Emilio Garcia filed a legal complaint against Megan Thee Stallion and her companies in Los Angeles Superior Court, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Megan, born Megan Pete, has Megan Thee Stallion Entertainment, Inc. and Hot Girl Touring, LLC. Jay-Z founded Roc Nation. These companies are named alongside Stallion in the lawsuit.
The allegations within the lawsuit range from embarrassing mishaps that can (but should not) happen in the entertainment industry to body-shaming harassment and issues of payment and retaliation.
Please don’t have sex in front of your employees
According to Garcia’s allegations, Stallion once had sex in a moving car while on tour in Spain in June of 2022.
Garcia describes being in the car at the time, and feeling “was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal.” Due to the circumstances (being in a moving vehicle), he could not simply leave.
The next day, Garcia recalls, Stallion asked him whether he had been in the car. Apparently, she hadn’t realized at the time. After he confirmed that he had been, Stallion allegedly instructed him: “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.”
The lawsuit accuses Megan Thee Stallion of body-shaming and harassment
Where the previous incident sounds like an embarrassing mishap for them both, it gets much worse. Garcia alleges that Stallion chastised him for his body size, calling him a “fat bitch” and instructing him to “spit your food out.”
That would be absolutely reprehensible under any circumstances — but, coming from an employer, it’s much worse.
Again, while allegedly having sex in front of an employee is inappropriate, it sounds like an accident. The sort of thing can (but should not) happen when people are traveling together for extended periods of time. The alleged body-shaming, however, is truly inexcusable.
Then there is the matter of pay
According to Garcia, his role was misclassified, which deprived him of healthcare and overtime pay. Additionally, he reports not having breaks for rests or meals while working as Stallion’s personal photographer.
Garcia’s lawsuit describes how, in August of 2022, the CEO of Roc Nation changed his compensation structure. Instead of receiving a $4,000 monthly rate, he received pay-per-task. Essentially, this meant that he was receiving less pay for the same work — all thanks to employer jargon and a few strokes of a pen.
This sort of horror happens in all sorts of industries. While it’s easy to say that Garcia could have simply quit and gotten a new job that would pay him like a human being, that’s often easier said than done. (Plus, one imagines that he hoped that things would improve)
Garcia was on duty at all times, his lawsuit describes
Megan Thee Stallion allegedly instructed him that he could not work for anyone else. And, as her personal photographer, he would have to be on standby at all times while on tour. That’s the description of a full-time job that already wasn’t paying him enough, and then switched to paying him less.
Garcia says that the 2023 termination of his contract was retaliation for him voicing complaints about harassment and improper compensation.
“Plaintiff grapples with mounting anxiety, depression, and physical distress stemming from the toxic work environment, compounded by the trauma of unpaid work,” the lawsuit asserts.
The attorney for Megan Thee Stallion has issued a response
“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” attorney Alex Spiro claimed to The Hollywood Reporter. “We will deal with this in court.”
Spiro has worked extensively for Roc Nation and Jay-Z for years.
The salacious details of the lawsuit do appear embarrassing. But then, the alleged incident was likely embarrassing for Garcia. If the rest is true, however, then Megan The Stallion’s wrongdoing goes well beyond a spicy car ride hookup in Spain.