Cardi B has been cleared of assault charges against her in a Los Angeles trial, after a security guard sued her for $24m (£18m) in a fingernail attack.
The 32-year-old, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, was accused of assault in a civil lawsuit filed by security guard Emani Ellis, who alleged the rapper physically attacked her in the hallway of a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office in 2018.
Cardi denied the allegations against her, and the incident in question occurred when the musician was expecting her first child, Kulture, before she had publicly announced the news.
The jury cleared the Grammy-winning rapper of charges of assault, battery, and purposeful emotional distress, as well as negligence and wrongful imprisonment, in under an hour.
Speaking to reporters following the ruling, Cardi B said: “I work all day and I work hard for my money, for my kids, for the people that I take care of. So don’t you ever think that you’re going to sue me, and I’m just going to settle.”
Cardi B admitted to the court that after she arrived at the doctor’s appointment, she and Ms. Ellis got into a heated argument that was filled with foul language.
At four months pregnant with her first kid, Cardi B’s obstetrics appointment was at the centre of the dispute, and since no one knew she was pregnant, the office closed for the day to protect her privacy.
Although she denied ever touching or spitting on the guard, she claimed it was extremely heated.
In her testimony, the rapper described how, when she exited an elevator, Ms. Ellis, a security guard in the building, called someone and informed them of her visit for a pregnancy that was not yet known to the public.
The artist, Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, went on to say that Ms. Ellis seemed to record her on her phone and wouldn’t “back up” until a “verbal altercation” broke out in person.She acknowledged that she told Ms. Ellis to “get out of my face” while yelling obscenities at her.
The celebrity had “feared for her unborn baby” and hadn’t yet made public her pregnancy, according to her lawyer.
Clips of the rapper’s testimony had been circulating online thanks to her facial reactions and blunt answers to questions in cross-examination.
Fans likened the affair to a reality TV show, with one taking to Instagram to write: “I’m deceased Cardi I love you” and “She’s absolutely hilarious! She’s smart, very well understands the game and could care less!”
