A jury delivered a swift and decisive win for Cardi B in a case involving a security guard who accused her of assault during her first pregnancy, which was not publicly known at the time.
The deliberation by the jury, composed of six men and six women, lasted merely an hour at the Alhambra, California courthouse. They ruled in favor of Cardi B, determining that she was not responsible for the injuries Emani Ellis claimed she suffered during an altercation at a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office in February 2018.
Only nine of the 12 jurors were required for a verdict in the civil case, but their decision in Cardi’s favor was unanimous.
“For anyone thinking of filing a baseless lawsuit against me, be prepared for me to counter-sue and make you accountable, because this kind of behavior is unacceptable,” Cardi stated as she spoke to her fans outside the courthouse. She emphasized her refusal to settle such cases and maintained her complete innocence.
Cardi expressed her frustration at missing her children’s first day of school due to the trial. She humorously remarked on the ordeal her forehead endured from multiple wig changes, which even confused her lawyer about which was her real hair, although none were, she confirmed with a laugh.
In a moment caught by the media before the verdict, she tossed a marker at a man who posed intrusive questions about her current pregnancy status and the identity of the father, calling his queries disrespectful.
Her testimony over two days, livestreamed and widely watched, included viral moments where she conveyed her concerns that Ellis might reveal her pregnancy. Although she admitted to a verbal dispute, she insisted it never escalated to physical violence.
“I will say it on my deathbed. I did not touch that woman,” she said after her win. “I did not touch that girl. I didn’t lay my hands on that girl.”
Ron Rosen Janfaza, the lawyer for the plaintiff Ellis, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. He said outside court that they plan to appeal the decision.
After several days off, the trial resumed with closing arguments earlier Tuesday.
Janfaza told jurors that Ellis, who had hoped to work in law enforcement or something similar, “lost her future” along with her job over the incident.
“Whether it’s the FBI, police, attorney, whatever she wanted to do, this incident cut it off,” he said in his closing argument. “No more, because of the trauma she sustained.”
He also called out the profanity Cardi freely used during her testimony, suggesting she had scorn for the proceedings.
“The defendant came here, used all of this foul language,” he told the jurors. “This is a court of law, you cannot speak this way in court. I have never seen this before.”
Cardi testified that she had been visiting Los Angeles doing promotional work in February 2018 around that year’s NBA All-Star Game. She was four months into her pregnancy with the first of her three children with rapper Offset. She had told her inner circle she was having a baby, but not the public or her parents.
The obstetrician’s office had been closed to other patients on a Saturday for her privacy.
She said Ellis, a security guard for the building, followed her to her fifth-floor appointment. Cardi told jurors last week that she heard Ellis say her name into a phone and appeared to be filming her.
“I told her, ‘Why are you recording?’” Cardi testified, “and she said, ’Oh my bad.’ She practically apologized.’”
But the argument grew increasingly heated, she said.
“As we were arguing she’s backing me, she’s walking into me,” Cardi said.
Ellis testified that the incident left her humiliated and traumatized, and the scar on her face required cosmetic surgery. Ellis, who lost her job over the incident, sought damages that include medical expenses, compensation for emotional and physical suffering, and lost wages, along with punitive damages. She does not specify a total amount in the lawsuit but Cardi said from the stand that she is “suing me for $24 million.”
A receptionist who broke up the argument between Cardi and Ellis largely backed the rapper’s account in testimony.
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AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report from Alhambra, California.
