Story by: Skye Hill
Famous Hip Hop artist, Cardi B, has been cleared of her assault charge after winning over the Los Angeles jury involved in her case.
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She had previously been sued for $24 million by a security guard, in a supposed fingernail attack.
The security guard named Emani Ellis accused Cardi B of spitting on her and using her 3 inch fingernail to cut into the security guard’s cheek. The alleged assault took place in 2018 outside of an obstetrician’s office while Cardi B was pregnant, unbeknownst to the public.
The rappers civil trial went viral on social media, due to Cardi’s bold fashion choices and unpredictably entertaining testimony.
She sported a new wig and outfit during each day of the trial, and wore very long fingernails that caught viewer’s eyes. Fans of Cardi B even gathered outside of the courthouse to support her as the trial ensued.
Cardi claimed that Ms. Ellis followed and filmed her at the obstetrician’s office, leading to a profane and boisterous argument. In addition, Cardi B, whose given name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, asserted that Ms. Ellis, who was working in the building, told a person who she was on the phone with about Cardi’s pregnancy, a private matter at the time.
Cardi’s lawyer explained that the artist felt fearful, as she had not decided to put her unborn baby into the public eye yet. According to Cardi B’s testimony, she proceeded to record Cardi and refused to “back up” before the verbal confrontation began.
Cardi admits to shouting a profane word at Ms. Ellis and telling her to “get out of my face.” Ms. Ellis alleges that this confrontation left her traumatized and physically inflicted, while Cardi, however, stated that she never touched or spat on the guard.
Cardi’s acquittal was aided by the testimonies given by the obstetrician she was visiting that day and his receptionist called Tierra Malcolm, who was the person to step between the two women during their altercation.
Ms. Malcolm’s testimony asserted the plaintiff, Ms. Ellis, as the assailant, claiming that Ms. Ellis swung her arms around to try to hit Cardi B, catching Ms. Malcolm in the crossfire and giving her a cut on her head.
Since this was a civil case, the jury was tasked with deciding if Cardi B was responsible for Ms. Ellis’ hand injury, and how much of the money from the civil lawsuit she should allocate to Ms. Ellis, if any.
In the closing arguments for this case, Cardi B showed out in a black and white polka dotted suit, with a shiny red bow pinned to the jacket. She testified that the amount she’s being sued for is $24 million, with Ms. Ellis wanting a payout in this amount. Ms. Ellis’ attorney’s final argument stated that the jury would ultimately decide how much Ms. Ellis should be compensated.
Finally, the jury cleared the rapper of all charges in this civil lawsuit and case.
The fanfare continued outside of the Los Angeles County courthouse after Cardi B was acquitted.
One fan who lived near the court, Christine Orozco, waited outside of the courthouse with a handmade sign that declared, “If the nail don’t fit, u must acquit,” a reference to OJ Simpson’s globally famed trial.
According to Orozco, Cardi B read the sign and laughed: “She read the sign. She was squinting to see it. She laughed.”
Source: BBC
