LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The budding artist Emaza Gibson thought ‘this is it’ when she was approached by the ‘Glad U Came’ singer with a musical deal. But the singer soon realized there was more to it.
'''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," Gibson told NBC News.
The 25-year-old is now suing Jason Derulo for sexual harassment as he was allegedly looking for "sex in exchange for success."
What did Emaza Gibson's lawsuit say?
Emaza claims that she had to go through "aggressive behavior, unwanted invitations, implications that she’d have to have sex with him to advance and fear for her safety."
The YouTuber with a following of 1.25 million told the outlet on Wednesday, October 4, "I’m at this point in my life right now, it’s very heartbreaking.”
“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,” Emaza says.
Gibson states in the lawsuit that as they worked, Derulo quite regularly invited her to drinks and dinner at a members-only lounge. She used to decline "in order to keep their relationship professional."
Jason Derulo offered alcohol to Emaza Gibson during recording session
In September 2021, during one late-night recording session, Derulo again asked her for a drink to which ‘reluctantly’ agreed. However, after taking a sip she found it "too strong," she mentions in the lawsuit.
"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 during an NBC News interview. “It’s, like, pressure at this point.”
“After this session, where [Gibson] declined to drink and have sex with Derulo, the offer to arrange for [Gibson] to get to and from Derulo’s studio ceased,” the complaint says.
Emaza Gibson's music deal was signed only to be dropped later
Gibson claims that her deal was signed after the meeting where she met Atlantic Records big shots along with Derulo and his manager Frank Harris but that Derulo allegedly "failed to assign her a project manager and ignored her messages."
The young singer further said that she and her mother, who was also her manager got in touch with an executive at Atlantic Records to start writing songs and be assigned a project manager.
