Jason Derulo is firing back at a man who sued him over alleged injuries he suffered after falling at the singer’s $3 million mansion, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On August 25, Derulo, 35, filed an answer with affirmative defenses in the lawsuit brought against him and his family by two brothers, Juan Zetina and Alvaro Zetina.
Alvaro said he was severely injured while working at Derulo’s seven-bedroom, six-bathroom, 10,844 square-foot home in Tarzana, California. (The singer purchased the home, which is a replica of a castle, in 2014 for $3 million.) Juan claimed he was fired after Alvaro refused to sign paperwork releasing Derulo from any liability over the alleged injuries.
In his filing, Derulo (real name: Jason Joel Desrouleaux) denied all allegations of wrongdoing detailed in the suit. He filed a defense to the suit arguing that any alleged injuries suffered by Juan and Alvaro were caused by third parties, not him.
Further, the entertainer’s lawyer told the court that the alleged injuries were the result of no “human intervention but were solely caused by a superhuman cause or Act of God, whose effects could not have been anticipated or prevented by the exercise of care on the part of [Derulo].” The filing also accused Juan and Alvaro of negligence and said they played a role in any alleged injuries they sustained.
Derulo demanded that the entire lawsuit be tossed. The singer’s family has yet to respond to the allegations in court.
On May 8, Juan and Alvaro sued Derulo, his mother Jocelyne Desrouleaux, his father, Joel Desrouleaux, PePe Construction and various other third parties. The suit accused the defendants of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful termination and labor code violations.
In the suit, Juan said he was hired to perform construction work at his home.
Juan said he was initially paid $300 per day in cash and then paid in checks, “which he was instructed to cash and use to compensate other works on the property.”
In early 2024, Juan said he was asked to recruit additional workers. He brought his brother, Alvaro, along with two other men. Per the suit, Juan and Alvaro said they worked eight hours a day. (Juan was paid $2,500 per week and Alvaro received $270 per day on the job.
The suit said Alvaro fell from an elevated height due to “improperly installed and unsecured scaffolding provided by Pepe Construction located on the property” on March 12, 2024.
“The scaffolding was dangerous and defective. It lacked proper installation, safety features and maintenance,” the lawsuit read. “Following the fall, which rendered Alvaro unconscious, [Derulo’s dad] and Juan transported [Alavaro] — without medical assistance — to VIP Urgent Care.”
“Due to the severity of his injuries, he was then taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital,” the complaint continued. Alvaro said he remained bedridden for six months and “could not return to work until December 2024.”
His lawyer claimed that Alvaro returned to work he “earned significantly less — only $170 per day.”
Alvaro filed a workers’ compensation claim. He said Derulo then demanded he sign a waiver releasing his legal claims in exchange for continued pay. He said he refused the offer.
“In retaliation, Juan Zetina was fired, reducing his income from $2,500 to $1,100 per week. He did not gain comparable employment until April 2024,” the suit alleged. In addition, lawyers for Juan and Alvaro “failed to secure workers’ compensation insurance, failed to comply with safety standards and created a hazardous worksite that led to Alvaro’s injuries and Juan’s wrongful termination.”
Alvaro and Juan claim that they suffered emotional distress due to the incident. “Plaintiffs suffered severe emotional distress, including anxiety, humiliation and loss of dignity.”
They also claimed Derulo and his family’s actions were carried out with malice, fraud … and with conscious disregard of plaintiff’s rights, health and safety.”
As Us previously reported, Derulo previously faced legal issues over separate accusations in 2023. He denied the claims. The lawsuit was dismissed but recently refiled.