A Los Angeles jury has cleared Cardi B of assault after a security guard accused her of slashing her face with a fingernail and spitting on her during a heated encounter in 2018.
The guard, Emani Ellis, had sued the Grammy-winning rapper for $24 million, claiming the incident outside an obstetrician’s office left her traumatised. At the time, Cardi B was four months pregnant with her first child, though her pregnancy had not yet been made public.
During the civil trial in Alhambra, the rapper gave fiery testimony that quickly went viral, mixing courtroom drama with fashion moments as she swapped wigs and outfits daily. She told jurors Ellis had followed her, filmed her on a phone, and refused to give her space. Cardi admitted to a shouting match, but denied ever touching or spitting on Ellis.
Ellis insisted the encounter caused her lasting distress. But the jury took just about an hour to reject her claims of assault, battery, emotional distress, negligence, and false imprisonment.
Outside the courthouse, Cardi B didn’t hold back. “I work all day and I work hard for my money, for my kids, for the people that I take care of. So don’t you ever think that you’re going to sue me, and I’m just going to settle,” she told reporters. She also asked fans not to harass Ellis or her family now that the trial was over.
The case revolved around Cardi’s OB-GYN visit, where staff had shut down the office to protect her privacy. Cardi testified that Ellis, who was working as a building security guard, told someone on the phone about her pregnancy and appeared to record her. The rapper admitted yelling at Ellis to “get out of my face,” but said she feared for her unborn child and denied physical violence.
Her account was backed up by her doctor and his receptionist, Tierra Malcolm, who stepped in to separate the two women. Malcolm said Ellis was the aggressor and even swung her arms, accidentally cutting Malcolm’s head in the process.
During closing arguments, Cardi appeared in a black-and-white polka dot suit with a red bow, her nails once again drawing attention after becoming a running theme in the trial. Ellis’s lawyer asked the jury to award damages, while Cardi’s team argued she was being targeted for a payout.
In the end, the jury sided entirely with the rapper. A small group of fans gathered outside the courthouse to celebrate, including one woman holding a hand-drawn sign that read: “If the nail don’t fit, u must acquit.” The sign, a nod to the O.J. Simpson trial, got a laugh out of Cardi herself.
