Woman sues restaurant and drag queen for $1.5 million after claiming she was injured by her breasts
(Photo: @miss_heart_of_florida_2014 / Instagram)
An American woman is suing a drag queen and the burger restaurant she performs in after claiming she was injured by the drag queen’s artificial breasts.
53-year-old Neldin Molina has filed a lawsuit against drag queen Amanda D’Rhod and chain restaurant Hamburger Mary’s after visiting a drag show which she says lead to a hospital visit and permanent injuries.
According to the lawsuit filed last month, Molina went for dinner at a Hamburger Mary’s in Florida in May 2015.
The Tampa Bay restaurant is part of a chain which is known for being LGBT+ inclusive, regularly hosting drag shows, and sponsoring season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Kurt King, who owns several Hamburger Mary’s in Florida said last year that he hoped that he will be able to create diversity and offer a safe space to LGBT patrons in the area with the restaurant.
Molina states in her lawsuit that she was unaware of the drag show and says it was not advertised either in the restaurant or by wait staff.
An advertisement for the restaurant show posted on the Drag Queen’s Instagram (Photo: @miss_heart_of_florida_2014 / Instagram)
According to the lawsuit, Molina was surprised to hear loud music and cheering part of her way through dinner with friends as a drag show began, featuring drag queen Amanda D’Rhod.
The lawsuit claims that D’Rhod approached Molina’s table and touched her shoulder after the 53-year-old turned around to ignore the show.
Related: RuPaul apologises for anti-trans drag queen comments
It then claims D’Rhod ‘unexpectedly’ grabbed Molina’s head and “wriggled her breast against Molina’s face and head eight times.”
The lawsuit goes on to allege that D’Rhod grabbed Molina’s head and neck and “violently pounds [Molina’s] head against her chest up to nine times.”
(Photo: @miss_heart_of_florida_2014 / Instagram)
After the alleged incident, Molina complained about “excruciating pain” to the restaurant’s manager.
Three days later, Molina visited a local hospital as she was experiencing “excruciating cervical pain and uncontrollable headaches”, which she claims were caused by D’Rhod’s actions.
She also claims that it took several months for Hamburger Mary’s to provide their insurance details, which she later discovered would not cover her injuries.
(Photo: @miss_heart_of_florida_2014 / Instagram)
Molina’s lawsuit seeks $1.5 million for her medical costs and “suffering physically and/or mentally” caused by the incident.
Molina says that the restaurant had a duty to tell customers that there would be a show that evening and that D’Rhod showed a “lack of concern” with her “violent” performance.
Speaking to the Tampa Bay Times, Molina said: “It’s not a good thing for anyone to go up to someone and perform that way.”
