A federal judge has ordered Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation to stand trial in a lawsuit brought by a former tour cameraman who alleges he was forced to witness the rapper having sex in a car while working a European tour date in 2022.
Judge Gregory H. Woods issued the ruling Friday, declining to throw out several of videographer Emilio Garcia's claims and clearing the way for a jury to hear the case after more than two years of litigation.
Garcia filed suit in May 2024, accusing Megan and Roc Nation of creating a hostile work environment stemming from an incident he says occurred in Spain while he was on tour with the star. He claims he was left embarrassed, mortified, and offended after witnessing the encounter, and that the company and rapper later punished him for speaking up by cutting his hours before firing him altogether. The complaint also raised wage claims, alleging he was not properly compensated for his work, and accused Megan and Roc Nation of discrimination and retaliation under New York labor law.
Judge Woods did not let every allegation move forward. He dismissed Garcia's claim that he was retaliated against specifically for reporting the car-sex incident. But he found enough evidence in the record to let a jury weigh in on the remaining claims, including the discrimination allegations, the wage dispute and the retaliation claims tied to that pay complaint. As a result, the case will now proceed to a jury trial rather than being resolved through the litigation process alone.
The lawsuit made headlines when it was first filed in 2024 for its explicit allegations against the Grammy-winning rapper, born Megan Pete. Her legal team pushed back hard at the time, dismissing the claims as fabricated and accusing Garcia of exploiting the court system to generate publicity.
In court filings, the rapper's attorney, Alex Spiro, argued that Garcia's original complaints amounted to ordinary wage disputes and that he later tacked on sensational allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment purely to attract media attention. Spiro went further, describing Garcia as someone attempting to use the lawsuit as a platform to revive a stalled music career while damaging Megan's reputation in the process.
Despite that pushback, Friday's ruling means those denials will now be tested before a jury rather than settled on paper. The decision represents a significant setback for Megan and Roc Nation, who had sought to have the case dismissed entirely before it reached trial. Instead, both will now have to defend themselves in open court against claims that touch on pay practices, workplace conduct and allegations of retaliation.
The case adds to a string of legal entanglements Megan has faced in recent years, though this lawsuit is notable for targeting her business relationship with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z that has represented her throughout much of her career.
A trial date has not yet been announced.
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