Derulo is being sued by an aspiring singer who claims he terminated her deal after she refused his sexual advances.
Jason Derulo is responding to the sexual harassment allegations leveled against him by an aspiring singer once signed to his record label, while the lawyer representing the alleged victim is slamming the "Talk Dirty" singer for his "dismissive attitude."
Not long after ET reported that Emaza Gibson sued the singer for sexual harassment, illegal retaliatory termination and breach of contract, among other things, Derulo took to Instagram and shared a video in which he slams the allegations.
"I wouldn't normally comment but these claims are completely false and hurtful," Derulo says in the video. "I stand against all forms of harassment and I remain supportive of anybody following their dreams. I've always strived to live my life in a positively impactful way, and that's why I sit here before you deeply offended, by these defamatory claims."
In response to Derulo's statement, Gibson's attorney, Ron Zambrano, responded in a statement to ET, saying, "If Derulo truly remained supportive of anyone following their dreams, he would acknowledge the pain and suffering he caused Emaza and aim to be a better person."
"He should be offended by these allegations, as should everyone, including his fans," the statement continued. "Emaza is certainly offended by his dismissive attitude. The entire music industry is due for a #MeToo movement. This sort of conduct is pervasive but it takes brave people like Emaza to come out of the shadows and share their stories to finally bring an end to this shameful behavior."
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Gibson claims Derulo "maliciously promised" to make her a successful singer when he contacted her in August 2021 about joining his new record label. Gibson claims she eagerly accepted Derulo's offer to work for him and as part of the deal, he "promised to make multiple music albums with [her]." She claims he officially became her mentor and supervisor in November 2021. But things quickly went downhill from there, she claims.
While recording music one day, Gibson claims Derulo told her that "if she wanted to be successful in 'this business' (aka, the music industry), [Gibson] 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."
Gibson claims that the manner and timing of such a statement meant that Derulo was demanding sexual acts from her in order for Derulo to fulfill his role as her mentor, supervisor and musical collaborator.
"This explicit demand for sex-in-exchange-for-success was reinforced through Derulo's subsequent behavior," the court documents state.
Gibson claims she saw the writing on the wall when she allegedly asked for a project manager and didn't get one, as well as having to pay for her own recording studio time for several months. Then, on Sept. 6, 2022, Gibson claims she was informed that her employment with Derulo's label was being terminated, effective immediately. She claims she asked to speak to record label executives but she was turned down.
Gibson claims she made repeated attempts to contact human resources via email but never heard from anyone after she voiced her concerns over Derulo's alleged "sexually, emotionally and physically inappropriate behavior towards her."
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