Acrobat sues Cirque du Soleil for $16M after 11-bone fall in Portland

A Cirque du Soleil acrobat, Mariia Konfektova, has filed a lawsuit seeking about $16.75 million after a 15-foot fall during a KOOZA performance in Portland, Oregon (August 2024) that left her with multiple fractures, including facial and skull injuries, a concussion, and long-term complications. She alleges the show lacked adequate safety mats, nets or fall protection and says she had raised concerns about the rigging and weight beforehand. OSHA fined Cirque du Soleil for safety violations (which the circus appealed), and Konfektova says she was fired over concerns about her mental fitness; a GoFundMe has been used to cover medical costs.