Jason Derulo calls quid pro quo sexual harassment lawsuit against him 'false and hurtful'

Jason Derulo is facing a lawsuit from one of his former artists alleging sexual assault and retaliation.

Musical hopeful Emaza Gibson alleges Derulo signed her under his Atlantic Records imprint Future History in August 2021 and dropped her in September 2022 after she declined his sexual advances, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.

Gibson filed the lawsuit against the "Whatcha Say" singer in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday. She is also suing Derulo's manager Frank Harris, Atlantic Records, Future History and RCA Records for allegedly ignoring her complaints.

The singer alleged seven complaints against the defendants including quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual harassment, failure to prevent and/or remedy harassment, retaliation, intimidation and violence, breach of contract and breach of good faith.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Derulo and Atlantic Records for comment.

Jason Derulo says he's 'deeply offended' by sexual harassment lawsuit

Derulo addressed the lawsuit filed by Gibson in a video shared to Instagram Friday. "I wouldn’t normally comment but these claims are completely false and hurtful," the singer said.

"I stand against all forms of harassment and I remain supportive of anybody following their dreams," he continued. "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. God bless."

Gibson responded to Derulo's statement via her attorney Ron Zambrano on Friday.

"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," Zambrano wrote. "He should be offended by these allegations, as should everyone, including his fans. Emaza is certainly offended by his dismissive attitude."

The attorney added: "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."

Emaza Gibson alleges Jason Derulo solicited her for sex

In a 36-page complaint, Gibson described Derulo "demanding sexual acts" in subtle and overt ways and coercing her into drinking. After a while, she claimed Derulo went "radio silent" about her requests related to recording her album, and she began to sense he wasn't going to comply because she "refused to drink with him or have sex with him."

While recording music with Derulo, Gibson alleged the singer informed her that if she wanted to succeed in the music industry she would have to participate in "goat skin and fish scales," a Haitian reference to the practice of conducting sex rituals, sacrificing a goat and taking cocaine.

"The manner and timing of such a statement meant that Derulo was demanding sexual acts from (Gibson) in order for Derulo to fulfill his role as her mentor, supervisor and musical collaborator," the lawsuit reads.

Gibson said her suspicion about Derulo's sexual interest in her was further confirmed when she met another female artist named Rosa at a November 2021 meeting Gibson had with executives at Atlantic Records. Rosa allegedly told Gibson she was brought to the meeting because Derulo was trying to have sex with her. When Gibson said she was “thrown off guard” by Rosa’s presence during a car ride after the meeting, Derulo reportedly yelled at her.

Derulo allegedly blew up at Gibson again during an all-day recording session in June 2022. When Gibson arrived late to the session due to traffic, Derulo "charged" and "lunged" at Gibson and berated her for her tardiness, per the singer’s filing.

From July to September 2022, Gibson was forced to arrange and pay for her own studio sessions to record music after Derulo stopped responding to her messages, the lawsuit states. In September, Gibson was dropped from Future History and Atlantic Records. Gibson was allegedly told her employment was being terminated because the labels "wanted her to be ‘happy.' "

In the aftermath of Gibson's experience working with Derulo, the singer sought medical intervention to deal with "breakdowns, weight loss, insomnia, mood swings, hopelessness, loss of motivation," as well as "feelings of betrayal and deception," according to Gibson's complaint. The singer was also allegedly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In addition to attorneys' fees and other litigation expenses, Gibson is seeking damages that cover unpaid wages, loss of earnings, emotional distress and medical expenses. The singer is also demanding a jury trial for the case.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Derulo lawsuit: Singer sued for quid pro quo sexual harassment