Cardi B cleared of assault charges in civil lawsuit

Cardi B leaving court in Alhambra, California, after being found not liable in a civil lawsuit brought against her. Photo / Getty Images

Cardi B has been cleared by a jury in California of assault and battery charges.

The WAP hitmaker, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, was found not liable in the civil lawsuit brought against her by security guard Emani Ellis, who took action in 2020 over an alleged incident two years prior.

After the verdict was read out in court on Tuesday, Cardi thanked her lawyers, fans, the jurors and “everybody at home supporting me”.

During a press conference after the verdict was read out, she said: “This time around I’m going to be nice. The next person to try and do a frivolous lawsuit against me I’m going to countersuit and I’m going to make you pay because this is not okay.”

The 32-year-old rapper again stressed her innocence.

She said: “I did not touch that woman.”

Ellis had alleged Cardi, who has Kulture, 7, Wave, 3, and 11-month-old Blossom with estranged husband Offset, had spat on her face, used racial slurs and cut her face with her fingernail in her lawsuit.

She also alleged the rapper, who was four months pregnant at the time, had “used her celebrity status” to get her fired from her job and sued over claims of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and false imprisonment following the incident.

While she sought US$24 million ($41m) in damages, the security guard insisted the case was “never about the money”.

She told reporters after the verdict: “What she did to me was real, never about the money, but more importantly, it’s about the accountability.

“My position is the same. She assaulted and battered me, and I don’t want her to get away with it. I don’t want it to be overlooked.”

During the trial, Ellis’ lawyer said she was no longer seeking millions of dollars and instead was only looking for compensation for her medical expenses, plus US$250,000.

The Drip singer denied the allegations and accused the woman of instigating the altercation by following her down the hallway at the doctor’s office and trying to record her.

Cardi insisted the altercation had never turned physical but admitted they were standing “chest to chest” and she yelled: “B****, get the f*** out of my face”.