Cardi B is back in court, this time defending herself against claims that she assaulted a former security guard during a heated encounter in a Beverly Hills medical office.
The case stems from a 2018 incident at her OB-GYN’s office, where building guard Emani Ellis accused the rapper of attacking her after spotting her in the waiting room. Ellis claims Cardi became aggressive, called her names, spat on her, and even scratched her face. Cardi, however, insists the argument never turned physical.
Taking the stand this week, Cardi admitted that she called Ellis a “b****” during their exchange but said she only reacted after she thought Ellis was secretly recording her on a phone. The rapper explained that she never saw any actual video and denied throwing punches, adding that Ellis was physically larger than her and she wouldn’t have risked getting into a fight while pregnant.
Ellis painted a very different picture for jurors. She testified that Cardi immediately grew hostile when she recognized her in the lobby, accusing her of planning to leak private medical details. Ellis alleged the Grammy-winning rapper insulted her weight and job, attempted to swing at her, and left her with a cut on her face. She also claimed Cardi spat on her and hurled racial slurs during the argument.
Cardi’s legal team pushed back, pointing to inconsistencies in Ellis’s story. Defense attorney Peter Anderson highlighted how Ellis’s trial testimony didn’t line up with her original incident report. While she told jurors the scratch was on her cheek, her written report described the injury as being on her nose. Anderson also noted that Ellis first admitted she was on the phone during the argument, only to later claim she wasn’t.
The defense argued that Cardi’s outburst came only after Ellis provoked her. Witnesses testified that Ellis shouted threats, allegedly yelling, “I will f*** your s*** up,” before security pulled her away from the scene.
This isn’t the only courtroom battle Cardi is juggling. The 32-year-old is also facing a separate lawsuit connected to a 2023 concert incident, where a fan claims she was struck after the rapper tossed her microphone into the crowd.
As the Beverly Hills trial continues, jurors will have to weigh two very different accounts of what happened that day in 2018—and decide whether Cardi’s confrontation with Ellis crossed the line into assault.
Source: Law & Crime