Cardi B Found Not Liable In $24M Civil Assault Trial

Key Takeaways:

• Cardi B was found not liable in a $24 million civil assault lawsuit filed by a former security guard.
• The jury reached a verdict in under an hour, siding with Cardi’s claim that no physical contact occurred.
• The case highlights how celebrities are often targeted with lawsuits during vulnerable moments, such as pregnancy.

Cardi B remains undefeated in 2025 — even in court. Tuesday (Sept. 2), a Los Angeles jury ruled in her favor after being accused of assault in a $24 million lawsuit filed by a security guard.

Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before clearing the “Outside” artist of all liability. The guard, Emani Ellis, claimed Cardi scratched her face with a fingernail and spat on her in the hallway of a Beverly Hills OB-GYN office in February 2018. According to Rolling Stone, both sides agreed the altercation unfolded after Ellis tried to film Cardi, who at the time was secretly pregnant with her first child with Offset.

“I will say it on my deathbed: I did not touch that woman. I did not touch that girl. I didn’t lay my hands on that girl,” the Grammy-winning rapper told reporters outside the courthouse. She also sent a stern warning to anyone thinking of filing another “frivolous lawsuit” against her, vowing to respond with a countersuit.

“I’m gonna make you pay, because this is not OK,” she continued. “I am not that celeb that you sue, and you think [is] going to settle. I’m not gonna settle. Especially when I’m super completely innocent. I know I got a little reputation, but I swear to God, I’m innocent. I swear to God. Like, I’m really innocent for real.”

In her initial filing, Ellis painted a much darker picture of the confrontation. She accused Cardi of physically attacking her, spitting on her, and throwing out “racial slurs.” She also claimed the clash — along with the musician’s “celebrity status” — cost her her job. It’s important to point out that Ellis ultimately dropped her initial $24 million claim and instead requested compensation for medical expenses plus $250,000.

Cardi, meanwhile, on the stand described the confrontation as nothing more than a screaming match. She recalled yelling, “B**ch, get the f**k out of my face,” before shutting down any suggestion of assault. “She didn’t hit me. I didn’t hit her. There was no touch,” the rapper testified.

As Cardi pointed out, the trial couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. She missed her kids’ first day of school due to court and joked that her forehead was left feeling “raw, raw, raw” after multiple wig changes throughout the proceedings. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, she’s right in the middle of rolling out her new album, AM I THE DRAMA?

Speaking of the highly anticipated sophomore release, Cardi treated fans to a snippet of new music. She previewed a track tentatively titled “Bodega Baddie,” which might find its way onto the upcoming project.