Rapper Cardi B has been cleared of all allegations in a $24 million civil assault case, following a jury’s decision on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit, filed by Emani Ellis, accused the Grammy-winning artist of attacking her during an incident in Beverly Hills in 2018.
The trial, which drew media attention for its dramatic courtroom moments and Cardi B’s bold appearance choices, ended with jurors rejecting Ellis’s claims.
According to Ellis, the rapper—then four months pregnant—allegedly shouted racial slurs, spat at her, and scratched her face with long fingernails during an encounter outside a medical office.
Ellis claimed she was trying to film Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, as she arrived for a private medical appointment. Cardi B’s legal team argued that their client was harassed and provoked during the incident, stating she had gone to great lengths to keep her pregnancy away from public attention.
“At the time, (Cardi B) was roughly four months pregnant with her first child and had taken great care to keep her pregnancy private and away from the scrutiny of tabloids and critics,” her attorneys said in court.
They described the confrontation as a hostile encounter that escalated when Ellis attempted to intimidate the rapper, leading to a verbal altercation before medical staff intervened.
After the jury dismissed the claim, Cardi B responded to reporters outside the courtroom. “I swear to God, I will say it on my death bed, I did not touch that woman. I did not touch that woman,” she said.
The rapper, 32, also issued a warning about future legal battles, stating, “With that being said, this time around I’m going to be nice. But 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.”
She added, “Don’t you ever think that you’re going to sue me and I’m going to settle and just give you money because it’s not going to happen.”
