Judge Orders Jury Trial in Cameraman’s Lawsuit Against Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation

A federal judge has ruled that Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation must face trial in a lawsuit brought by cameraman Emilio Garcia, according to a report published Friday by Billboard. The judge determined that jurors, not a judge, should decide the contested claims in the case.

Billboard reported that the lawsuit stems from accusations Garcia made in 2024, including allegations described as “salacious” in the reporting. The dispute centers on Garcia’s claims that he was forced to watch car sex, which he alleged as part of the events underlying his complaint.

Under the judge’s ruling, the case will move forward on a jury track rather than being resolved through pretrial motions. The decision means a panel of jurors will weigh the credibility of competing accounts and decide whether Garcia’s allegations are supported under the applicable legal standards.

The defendants, Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation, are named as parties in the complaint, and the judge’s order keeps them in the litigation posture through trial. While the Billboard report does not describe a final trial date, it emphasizes that the matter will be decided by “a jury” as the case proceeds.

In the procedural posture described by Billboard, the ruling follows the parties’ earlier litigation activity in the 2024 filing and related motion practice. The decision indicates the judge found enough factual disputes or evidentiary issues to require jury evaluation, rather than disposing of the claims at the pretrial stage.

The next steps, according to the direction of the ruling reported by Billboard, are tied to trial preparation and the normal pretrial process that follows when a case is set for jury consideration. That includes further court proceedings that set the scope of issues for jurors to decide and determine what evidence may be presented at trial.

Because the judge’s decision keeps the allegations in front of a jury, the outcome will depend on what jurors find proved. The ruling does not establish the truth of the allegations, and it does not resolve the dispute on the merits; it only determines that the case should proceed for a jury to decide.