A former cameraman for Megan Thee Stallion has filed a lawsuit alleging that he was trapped in a moving vehicle with the hip-hop star while she had sex with a woman in a foreign country. The cameraman, Emilio Garcia, claims that after the incident, he was warned not to discuss what he saw and subsequently experienced fat-shaming, harassment, and differential treatment from Megan Thee Stallion.

Garcia's lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claims that the "harassment was so severe or pervasive" that it created a "hostile, abusive work environment," rendering his working conditions "intolerable." Representatives for Megan Thee Stallion and her management company, Roc Nation, did not respond to NBC News' requests for comment.

Garcia began working for Megan Thee Stallion (real name Megan Pete) in 2018 as a personal cameraman. He quit his job in 2019 to work with her full-time and continued with her until June 2023, according to the lawsuit. The case raises questions about the working environment within the entertainment industry and sheds light on the treatment of behind-the-scenes staff.

In the lawsuit, Emilio Garcia claimed that during a trip to Ibiza, Spain, in June 2022, he was in an SUV with Megan Thee Stallion and three other women after a night out. While the car was moving, Megan and one of the women allegedly began having sex next to him. Garcia described feeling uncomfortable, frozen, and shocked by the incident, stating he was taken aback by the audacity of their actions in such close proximity to him.

During an interview with NBC News, Garcia expressed his discomfort and surprise at what had transpired. He felt that this incident contributed to a hostile work environment, a central claim in his lawsuit against the hip-hop star and her management company. The lawsuit alleges that Garcia was subjected to harassment, fat-shaming, and warnings not to discuss what he witnessed during his time working with Megan Thee Stallion.

The day after the incident in Ibiza, Megan Thee Stallion asked Emilio Garcia if he had been in the car with them the night before. When he confirmed that he was, Megan reportedly told him, "Don't ever discuss what you saw," according to his lawsuit.

Garcia's lawsuit also claims that during the same trip, Megan hurled fat-shaming insults at him, calling him a "fat bitch" and telling him to "spit your food out" and "you don't need to be eating." Garcia expressed his disappointment in the interview, saying, "To hear someone who advocates about loving your body tell me these things, I felt degraded."

Upon returning from the trip, the lawsuit claims that Garcia's compensation structure was changed from a monthly flat-rate to a pay-per-task system that required him to submit invoices for each assignment. Despite the change in payment structure, Garcia stated he was expected to maintain the same level of work. However, he alleges that after the Ibiza trip, he experienced a decrease in bookings and was treated differently.

These events led Garcia to file a lawsuit against Megan Thee Stallion, accusing her of harassment, a hostile work environment, and retaliation. The lawsuit is an example of workplace issues in the entertainment industry and highlights the impact of a changing work environment on employees' well-being.

According to the lawsuit, Emilio Garcia began contemplating quitting his job with Megan Thee Stallion due to her "possessiveness combined with a lack of appropriate pay for the amount of time asked of him" and fewer bookings. Despite being on the schedule for a June 2023 job, the night before, Roc Nation informed him that his services "would no longer be required" by Megan.

The lawsuit alleges that while working for Megan, Garcia endured a "barrage of relentless sexual and fat-shaming comments" that plunged him into "profound emotional distress." Garcia explained in an interview with NBC News that the entertainment industry lacks an HR department, and employees often have limited support when dealing with such situations. He shared his journey of realization, saying, "If you don't know that you're being done wrong, you don't really know how to advocate for yourself until you start asking your peers who have representation, they have agents, they have management, they have attorneys."

The lawsuit states that the alleged behavior led to Garcia facing a loss in earnings and other employment benefits, physical injuries, physical sickness, and emotional distress. Additionally, while working for Megan, Garcia lacked basic insurance coverage, leaving him unable to access the medical care he needed. This contributed to his struggles with mounting anxiety, depression, and physical distress caused by the toxic work environment.

Garcia's lawsuit highlights the need for greater awareness and support for workers in the entertainment industry, underscoring the challenges they face when encountering workplace harassment and hostile conditions without adequate protection or recourse. It also serves as a call to action for those working in similar environments to advocate for themselves and seek representation when necessary.

Garcia's attorney, Ron Zambrano, issued a statement to NBC News, stating, “Megan just needs to pay our client what he’s due, own up to her behavior, and quit this sort of sexual harassment and fat-shaming conduct.” He continued, “Emilio should never have been put in a position of having to be in the vehicle with her while she had sex with another woman. ‘Inappropriate’ is putting it lightly. Exposing this behavior to employees is definitely illegal.”

Garcia's lawsuit also outlines alleged employment and wage violations focusing on his classification as an independent contractor. The lawsuit claims that Megan prohibited him from working for other people, denied him overtime pay and breaks, and, due to his misclassification, deprived him of basic insurance coverage, leaving him without access to essential healthcare.

Garcia told NBC News in an interview that he is seeking more than six figures in damages. The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages, interest on unpaid wages, unpaid overtime wages, and other employee benefits at the legal rate. Additionally, Garcia is pursuing statutory penalties and wage penalties as per California labor laws, punitive damages, and costs he incurred, including attorneys' fees.

These claims underscore the significance of proper classification of workers and the responsibilities employers have to ensure a safe and compliant work environment. Misclassification can lead to significant repercussions, not only in terms of lost wages and benefits, but also in denying workers their rights to overtime pay, breaks, and access to essential insurance coverage. The outcome of this lawsuit could influence the conversation around worker rights and employer accountability in the entertainment industry.