Additional Coverage:
- Cardi B denies touching security guard who is suing for assault but says she did curse at her (latimes.com)
Rapper Cardi B Denies Assault Allegations in Court Testimony
Rapper Cardi B took the stand Tuesday in a Los Angeles courtroom, vehemently denying allegations that she assaulted a security guard in 2018. The lawsuit, filed by Emani Ellis, stems from an incident outside a Beverly Hills medical building where Cardi B, pregnant at the time, had an obstetrics appointment.
Ellis claims the rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, verbally and physically assaulted her, including spitting, swinging, scratching, and using racial slurs. However, Cardi B testified that the encounter was purely verbal.
She admitted to a heated exchange and using profanity, but insisted there was no physical contact whatsoever. “It was a verbal incident,” she stated.
“She didn’t hit me. I didn’t hit her.
There was no touching.”
The rapper acknowledged confronting Ellis, believing she was being recorded on a cell phone. She also admitted to calling Ellis a derogatory name, explaining that she felt her privacy was being violated during a sensitive medical visit.
Ellis’s attorney questioned Cardi B extensively about the nature of the interaction, at one point even suggesting that their courtroom back-and-forth constituted a “verbal altercation.” Cardi B responded that they were simply “debating,” drawing laughter from those present.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleges assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and false imprisonment. Ellis testified earlier in the trial that she was “overcome with excitement” upon recognizing the celebrity and expressed this aloud. She alleges Cardi B then became hostile and launched the alleged attack.
Cardi B, sporting a different hairstyle for each day of the trial, maintained her innocence throughout her testimony. The trial continues as both sides present their cases.