Stephen Ackerman
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A Toronto model says her Uber driver kicked her out of the vehicle into the dark night because she was Jewish.
“What happened isn’t just an unpleasant moment. It’s a reminder of why speaking up matters,” Miriam Mattova, 33, told National Post. “And discrimination must be met with accountability, not silence.”
Mattova is a Jewish Slovakian-Canadian model and former Miss Slovakia. She said the incident occurred just after midnight on Nov. 30. Her friend ordered her an Uber so she could get home. After she got into the car, she FaceTimed another friend and was “speaking casually” about a recent trip to Israel a few weeks prior.
The female Uber driver slammed on the brakes, said Mattova, and told her to get out of the car at a busy intersection.
When Mattova questioned the driver, the driver told her she didn’t feel “comfortable” with Mattova in the car. “So I asked why, and the driver told me that they do not drive Jewish people,” Mattova said.
Mattova got out of the vehicle and ordered another Uber to get home. She reported the incident to the ride-sharing company, as did her friend who ordered the ride. A representative from Uber called her in response to her complaint on Dec. 4. Over email later the same day, a representative apologized for her experience and said they would be “following up with this driver to try to ensure an incident like this does not occur again.” The fare would be refunded, they said.
“A serious incident involving hate should trigger immediate action within 24 hours. Anything less allows prejudice to just go unchecked. Basically, it took them four days to get back to me,” Mattova said. “I want to be clear that what happened is about far more than an uncomfortable ride home or a refunded fair. The incident I experienced was a direct act of antisemitism, and the reason I’m speaking about it is because moments like this must be confronted openly.”
In a statement to National Post, an Uber spokesperson said: “Discrimination is unacceptable, and we’re deeply sorry for the experience this rider had. Everyone deserves to feel safe, welcome, and respected when using Uber. We’ve contacted the rider directly and taken appropriate action on the driver.”
Uber did not clarify to National Post what action was taken.
“What concerns me most is that Uber refuses to confirm whether the driver is still operating on the platform,” Mattova said, adding that Uber cited the privacy rights of the driver.
“Any responsible company, in my opinion, would immediately remove a driver who refuses to take someone because they are Jewish,” she said.
Mattova has been using her platform as a model and public figure to speak out against antisemitism since the October 7 attacks, when 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas terrorists in Israel and 251 taken hostage. Despite backlash on social media and receiving hateful messages about her support for Israel, she said she remains strong in her convictions because she’s heard stories of how insidious antisemitism can be.
~NatPost 11/05/25
