A Russian aerialist, Mariia Konfektova, who holds a world record for seated aerial hoop rotations, is suing Cirque du Soleil for nearly $17 million after falling 15 feet during a 2024 performance in Portland, Oregon. The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges the circus failed to provide adequate safety equipment and dismissed her prior concerns about faulty rigging, before later dismissing her from her job when she continued to raise safety issues after the accident.

Konfektova suffered 11 broken bones, including fractures to her lower back, wrist, skull and at least seven facial bones, along with a concussion and double vision, requiring multiple surgeries and leaving her with permanent injuries, according to the complaint. The lawsuit states her right foot slipped mid-routine during the KOOZA show and, having only been touching the hoop rather than gripping it, she fell to the stage. Oregon's workplace safety regulator (OSHA) fined Cirque du Soleil $8,070 after finding it had not supplied protective equipment, despite the circus telling investigators it normally requires such safeguards for routines above roughly 20 feet, just five feet higher than Konfektova's act. The suit names five corporate defendants linked to Cirque du Soleil.