A Los Angeles jury has cleared rapper Cardi B of liability in a high-profile civil lawsuit accusing her of assault and battery during a 2018 nightclub incident.
The verdict, delivered Tuesday, ends a case that drew weeks of testimony, viral courtroom moments, and widespread media coverage.
The plaintiff, Emani Ellis, had sought about $24 million, claiming the confrontation left her with physical and psychological injuries that damaged her career. She testified that Cardi B struck and pushed her at a Los Angeles club. Witnesses, including medical personnel, supported her account of injuries and treatment.
Cardi B, born Belcalis Almánzar, denied the allegations and testified in her own defense. On the stand, she challenged inconsistencies in Ellis’s story and questioned the reliability of witness accounts.
Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Cardi B thanked her legal team, the jury, and her supporters while stressing the personal toll of the case.
“I missed my kids’ first and last days of school because of this trial,” she said. “Even on my deathbed, I will say the same thing: I did not touch that woman.”
The Grammy-winning rapper also warned against future lawsuits, vowing to countersue anyone who files what she called “frivolous claims.”
“Don’t ever think I’m going to hand over the money I work hard for,” she added.
At the same time, she urged her fans not to harass Ellis or her family online.
The trial combined serious testimony with viral moments, including a clip of Cardi B throwing a pen at a reporter outside court after being pressed about pregnancy rumors.
Civil trials require jurors to decide whether claims are “more likely than not” to be true, a lower standard than in criminal cases. In this instance, the jury concluded Ellis’s evidence fell short and found Cardi B not liable.
Ellis’s team argued she suffered lasting harm, while Cardi B’s lawyers said the case was riddled with inconsistencies and unsupported by reliable evidence. Much of the trial hinged on witness credibility and whether testimony aligned with medical records.
With the verdict behind her, Cardi B leaves court free of civil liability but candid about the stress the case caused.
“It’s been really tough. It’s been really long nights for me,” she said, noting that she is also balancing the rollout of a new album.
