Not Liable: L.A. Jury Rejects $24 Million Claim Against Cardi B

Chrisallmeid, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cardi B beat a $24 million civil lawsuit on Tuesday, as a Los Angeles County jury found her not liable over a 2018 hallway confrontation at a Beverly Hills OB-GYN’s office. “I would say this on my death bed: I did not touch the woman,” the rapper said outside the Alhambra courthouse after the verdict.

The plaintiff, Emani Ellis, a former security guard, alleged that Cardi B scratched her face with a fingernail, spat on her and verbally abused her — claims Ellis said led to lasting injury and the loss of her job. Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, denied any physical contact and testified the dispute began because Ellis appeared to be recording her while she was secretly pregnant.

"I did not touch that woman."

Cardi B spoke to reporters outside of court after being found not liable in civil suit. pic.twitter.com/kkliqL8Xip

— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) September 2, 2025

Jurors heard from Tierra Malcolm, a receptionist at the doctor’s office, who said she stepped into the hallway after hearing a commotion and saw Ellis cornering Cardi — not the other way around. Defense attorneys also emphasized that Ellis did not file a police report at the time and did not seek immediate medical care.

Cardi B was won her civil assault trial in California.

A Los Angeles County jury declared her not liable on all claims from a former security guard who claimed she assaulted her in 2018. pic.twitter.com/qaFp8MCQhI

— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 2, 2025

Inside the courtroom, the exchanges were blunt. Asked by the plaintiff’s lawyer if she was angry, Cardi replied, “Yes, I was angry because I’m pregnant! And this girl’s about to beat my ass. Hello?” Pressed on whether she called Ellis “fat,” she answered, “No. I was calling her a b**.**” In closing, her lawyer attacked the injury narrative: “She claims that Cardi mauled her … cut her face, and this woman went home … She took a nap.”

After the verdict, Cardi thanked supporters and said the case pulled her away from family time. “Because of this, I missed my kids’ first day of school,” she said, adding a warning about future claims: “Don’t ever think that you’re going to file a frivolous lawsuit against me and I’m just going to give you my money … Next time, I’m going to countersue."