Court clears Cardi B of assault in California case

Rapper, Cardi B has been cleared of assault in a $24 million civil trial that accused her of slashing a woman’s face with her fingernails during a 2018 altercation in Beverly Hills.

The case, heard in Los Angeles last week, drew attention not only for its high stakes but also for the spectacle surrounding it. The Grammy-winning star, known for hits like WAP and Bodak Yellow, arrived in court with bold wigs and fiery exchanges with lawyers, moments that quickly went viral.

 

The plaintiff, Emani Ellis, alleged that Cardi B — who was pregnant at the time attacked her outside a doctor’s office, shouting racial slurs, spitting, and scratching her face. Cardi B denied the claims, insisting Ellis had aggressively confronted her while attempting to film her on a phone.

 

Her legal team argued that the rapper, then four months pregnant with her first child, was trying to keep her pregnancy private and away from public scrutiny. They said Ellis had provoked the incident, leading to a profanity-laced shouting match before medical staff intervened.

 

The jury dismissed Ellis’s claims and denied her request for compensation.Speaking after the verdict, Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, firmly restated her innocence:

 

“I swear to God, I will say it on my death bed, I did not touch that woman.”

The 32-year-old added a warning to future litigants:“The next person that tries to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I’m going to counter-sue and I’m going to make you pay. Don’t ever think you’re going to sue me and I’m just going to settle, because it’s not going to happen.”