Rapper Cardi B has been cleared of assault in a $24 million civil case brought against her in California.
A jury in Los Angeles on Tuesday dismissed claims by plaintiff Emani Ellis, who alleged that the star attacked her during an incident in Beverly Hills back in 2018. Ellis had accused the Grammy-winning rapper of slashing her face with long fingernails, spitting on her, and using racial slurs.
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, denied ever touching Ellis. She told the court the plaintiff had aggressively approached her while trying to film her on a phone as she entered a medical office. At the time, Cardi B was four months pregnant with her first child and said she was trying to keep the pregnancy private.
Her lawyers explained that the altercation was only a shouting match, which ended when medical staff intervened. They argued that Ellis attempted to intimidate the artist with a frivolous lawsuit.
After hearing from both sides, the jury ruled in favor of Cardi B, rejecting Ellis’s request for compensation. The decision put an end to the seven-year-long case.
Speaking after the verdict, Cardi B insisted she had never assaulted Ellis. “I swear to God, I will say it on my death bed, I did not touch that woman,” she told reporters.
The rapper also warned that she would no longer tolerate false accusations. “The next person that tries to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I’m going to counter-sue and make you pay,” she said.
