A Los Angeles jury has cleared Cardi B in a $24 million lawsuit filed by a security guard who accused the rapper of assault during an alleged incident in 2018.
Because of the ruling, Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, is not obligated to pay damages to the security guard, ABC News reported.
Following the announcement of verdict, Cardi B thanked her legal team, the jury, and all of her fans for their support.
“I’m not even playing around. Even if I’m at my death bed, I swear to God, I will say it at my death bed — I did not touch that woman,” she said. “I did not touch that girl. I didn’t lay my hands on that girl. I hope that this is something I leave behind.”
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2018 incident involving plaintiff Emani Ellis, who sued Cardi B for alleged assault during an interaction at a medical office where Ellis was employed.
Pregnant at the time and on her way to visit her obstetrician, Cardi B vehemently denied the allegations. In the suit, Ellis was “seeking punitive and other damages that included medical expenses for a scratch on her face.”
During the trial, Cardi B went viral for her brutal honesty and hilarious tesimonies on the stand.
Ellis was critical of Cardi B’s behavior on the stand describing it as “totally unprofessional.” She also reporters that the “Imaginary Playerz” rapper’s“body language, body gestures, facial expressions (and) disrespect for the court speaks to who she is.”
Ron Rosen Janfaza, Ellis’s attoneru, said his plans to file an appeal on behalf of his client.