Cardi B cleared in $24M assault case
What's the story
A Los Angeles jury has found rapper Cardi B not liable for assault and battery in a civil case. The lawsuit was filed by former security guard Emani Ellis, who accused Cardi of assaulting her and spitting on her during an alleged altercation in the hallway of a medical office in 2018. The jury's decision, with all 12 jurors agreeing, means Cardi won't have to pay any damages in the $24 million case, reported TMZ.
Legal counteraction
'I did not touch that woman'
Following the verdict, Cardi (32) denied any physical altercation, a claim she maintained during her testimony last week. "I'm not even playing around. Even if I'm in my deathbed, I swear to God, I will say it in my deathbed, I did not touch that woman." She earlier claimed that she and Ellis had a verbal argument after the security guard invaded her privacy by recording her during a doctor's visit when she was pregnant with her first child, Kulture.
Dispute details
Details of the case
The rapper noted that the news of her pregnancy wasn't public then, and the guard appeared to be filming her. This led to a verbal spat. Ellis alleged that Cardi left a scar on her face. However, a doctor from the Beverly Hills OB-GYN office testified that they didn't witness any such incident. The lawsuit was first filed in 2020 by Ellis, who argued that the incident required cosmetic surgery and cost her both her job and future career prospects.
Post-verdict response
Cardi calls the case 'frivolous'
After the verdict, Cardi celebrated outside the court, calling the case "frivolous" and warning she would countersue anyone who tries similar lawsuits. She said she had to miss her children's first day of school because of the trial. "I am not that celeb that you sue, and you think is going to settle. I'm not gonna settle. Especially when I'm super completely innocent," she said.
Personal challenges
Cardi's other ongoing legal battles
Apart from her ongoing legal battle with Ellis, Cardi is also dealing with a divorce from rapper Offset, with whom she shares three children. The I Like It artist had filed for divorce in July. Moreover, she was recently sued by a woman over an alleged 2023 microphone-tossing incident in Las Vegas.