*Two women are suing Jeffrey Osborne, claiming the R&B icon “embarrassed” and “humiliated” them during a concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles last year.
People reports that Danielle Buchanan and Maneva Currie filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California on Tuesday, claiming they were subjected to discriminatory behavior during Osborne’s concert on May 6, 2023.
The controversy arose when Osborne, seeking an audience member to sing a portion of his 1986 hit “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song),” led to his team selecting Buchanan and giving her a microphone to sing “Can you woo woo woo?”.
A camera was directed at Buchanan, “which broadcast her face to the two large screens on either side of the stage, according to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE,” the outlet writes.
Buchanan was prepared to sing while her friend Currie captured the moment on her phone. But Osborne allegedly said he wanted a “White person” for the performance.
His comment left Buchanan and Currie “shocked, embarrassed, and humiliated,” per the lawsuit.
People reports, citing the complaint, that Osborne’s team took the mic away from Buchanan and searched for someone else to sing the section.
“[Buchanan and Currie] left the concert emotionally disturbed,” the complaint read. “Based on the public humiliation, [they] were afraid to engage socially in their lives for months and eventually as a result of the pain and suffering, they had to seek psycho-therapy.”
Per People, the filing continued, “As a result of Osborne’s negligent and discriminatory behavior, he has caused [the plaintiffs] damages.”
Buchanan and Currie seek punitive damages exceeding $2 million and request a jury trial.
READ MORE: Jeffrey Osborne and Tiffany Haddish Honored by the City of Los Angeles
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
