US court clears Cardi B in $24m assault case

A Los Angeles jury has cleared rapper, Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar aka Cardi B of assault charges in a $24 million civil lawsuit filed by a security guard who claimed she attacked her with a fingernail outside a doctor’s office in 2018.

The trial began last week in Alhambra, centring on allegations made by Emani Ellis that Cardi B cut her cheek with a 3-inch fingernail and spat on her during an encounter outside an obstetrician’s office.

At the time of the incident, Cardi B was four months pregnant with her first child, a fact that was not publicly known and led the medical office to close for the day to protect her privacy.

During the trial, Cardi B took the stand and gave lively testimony about the confrontation, denying the allegations and describing how the security guard followed her, filmed her on her phone, and refused to give her personal space.

Ellis said the encounter traumatised her, but after deliberating for just about an hour, the jury found Cardi B not liable for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and false imprisonment.