Jewish Slovakian-Canadian model and former Miss Slovakia was allegedly forced out of an Uber in the middle of the night last week after the driver declared, “I don’t drive Jewish people,” according to the rider and reports now amplified across social media and Canadian news outlets.
Miriam Mattova, 33, a professional model who moved to Toronto full-time in April 2023 and has since become a vocal advocate for Israel, sharing her first visit to the country in November 2025, including stops at sites like the devastated Kibbutz Be’eri, was out with friends on November 30 when she booked a ride home through a friend.
Feeling unsafe walking alone after midnight, she hopped in the vehicle and joined a FaceTime call, casually mentioning her recent trip to Israel.The female driver suddenly slammed on the brakes at a busy intersection, Mattova recounted in an interview with the National Post.
When pressed for a reason, the driver cited discomfort and explicitly stated she did not drive Jewish people, leaving Mattova to exit into the dark street. She quickly ordered another Uber to complete the trip home safely, describing the encounter as “terrifying and humiliating” and a stark reminder of her Holocaust-survivor grandmother’s pre-war stories of antisemitism.
