A new lawsuit is accusing Jason Derulo of ending a recording contract with Emaza Gibson after she wouldn’t give in to his sexual advances.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, October 5, Emaza accused Jason of quid pro quo sexual harassment.
Chasing Dreams
Emaza Gibson moved to Los Angeles in 2008 with her sisters to chase their dreams of making it big in the music industry.
The siblings formed the group Ceraadi and created quite the buzz on YouTube garnering them over 1.25 million subscribers.
Eventually, her sisters decided not to pursue music, leaving Emaza to keep pushing forward as a solo act.
She stayed on her grind by making viral dance videos.
Jason Derulo Offered Emaza Gibson A Record Deal
When Jason Derulo reached out to Emaza Gibson with a promise of a record deal – she thought it was a dream come true.
According to the lawsuit, Jason offered her a joint venture deal between his music imprint, Future History, and Atlantic Records, that would require her to produce a mixtape in four months and an album in six months.
Emaza’s contract also promised a single featuring Jason.
“I’m like, OK, well, Jason is a great artist — big, international, powered with Atlantic — this should be a no-brainer, and I should be able to, you know, start my solo career,” she said.
Allegations Of Sexual Advances
But, once she began working on music with Jason to present to Atlantic Records things went left.
Jason Derulo allegedly started by inviting Emaza Gibson out to dinner and drinks at a members-only lounge.
She declined to keep things professional. But, that allegedly led to him bringing alcohol to the studio and pressuring Emaza to drink.
“I told him that I wasn’t a drinker … so it’s like, you know, you’re not listening to that the first time I tell you, and you’re still pushing on me,” Gibson said in the NBC News interview. “It’s, like, pressure at this point.”
The lawsuit claims at some point, Jason advised Emaza that she would have to take part in “goat skin and fish scales.”
Emaza Gibson said she learned from online articles about rituals involving sex, goat sacrifices, and blood that appeared to be what Derulo was talking about.
“I’ve never heard about this, and I was trying to find and make sense of what it was, and I came across those articles,” she said.
The lawsuit states Emaza considered Jason’s statement as an “explicit demand for sex-in-exchange-for-success” in addition to his other actions like aggressive behavior, unwanted invitations, implications that she’d have to have sex with him to advance, and fear for her safety.
Emaza also recalled a trip to New York City to showcase her music at Atlantic Records where Jason invited a woman he was allegedly having sex with.
When Emaza expressed her concerns to Jason’s manager, the singer allegedly lost it.
He “immediately lost control and began aggressively hitting his armrests screaming, ‘What does she have to do with you!? We weren’t going to tell you anything! We don’t have to tell you anything!” according to the suit.
Jason Derulo went “radio silent” on Emaza after that incident and seemingly checked out on his promises to help her after she signed with Atlantic.
Emaza was basically on her own and reaching out to the label for help and guidance.
In June 2022, Emaza attended a meeting at Jason Derulo’s home to express her concerns about her budget song selections and meeting her contract obligations.
He allegedly told her she was worrying about the “wrong things,” but agreed to a recording session.
Emaza said she and her mother arrived late due to traffic issues in LA and Jason allegedly snapped.
“I had to step back … my hand just clutched my chest, because I was, like, I’ve, I’ve never been approached this way by anybody,” Gibson told NBC News.
Emaza contacted Atlantic Records to inform them of Jason Derulo’s behavior and says an executive acknowledged it.
Unfortunately, on September 6, 2022, Emaza Gibson was dropped from Atlantic Record and Future History.
“I’m just trying to fight for what’s right, because what was done to me was not OK,” Emaza said.
“And I wouldn’t want anybody else to go through what I went through. They wasted my time. They promised me things. … ‘Forget the contract.’ That’s what I was told. But if I wasn’t going to do, if I wasn’t doing my part according to this contract, I would be in trouble. I would be held accountable.”
Emaza’s attorney Ron Zambrano said Derulo “not only broke promises and breached contracts, but his 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.”
The lawsuit accuses Jason Derulo, his imprint, and Atlantic Records of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, a failure to remedy workplace harassment, and violation of California’s Civil Rights Act.
Emaza Gibson is seeking unpaid wages, loss of earnings, deferred compensation, and other employment benefits and damages for emotional distress.
“I’ve been doing this all my life,” she said. “This is something I’ve wanted to do as a little girl. And you don’t have to bend your morals to get to certain places.”
Jason Derulo has released a video via Instagram denying the allegations against him.
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Source: NBC News
