Cardi B Denies Physical Assault in Beverly Hills Civil Trial

LOS ANGELES - In a civil trial Wednesday, Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B (Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar) adamantly denied assaulting security guard Emani Ellis outside a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office in February 2018, insisting their clash was purely verbal.

Cardi B returned to the witness stand for the third day of testimony, characterizing the lawsuit as a “cash grab” given the plaintiff’s $24 million claim. Under oath, she maintained she never touched, scratched or spat on Ellis, repeating, “I didn’t touch her. She didn’t touch me. There was no touching. So, to me, it wasn’t no incident”.

During cross-examination, Cardi B faced a barrage of questions about her appearance, including a now-viral exchange over her ever-changing wigs. When asked why she sported long blonde hair on Wednesday after wearing a short black wig the previous day, she smiled and replied, “They’re wigs”. That clip has since garnered millions of views on social media.

Ellis, who sued in 2020 alleging assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, testified Tuesday that Cardi B slashed her face with a long fingernail, spat on her and hurled racial slurs. Cardi B countered that Ellis, who she said was larger than her 130-pound frame, initiated the confrontation by following and filming her without consent as she arrived for a private prenatal appointment. “Why are you recording me?” the rapper recalled asking, fearing her pregnancy would be exposed.

On Wednesday, Cardi B explained her acrylic nails were flat, rounded and incapable of causing such injuries. She emphasized no security cameras or bystander videos exist to corroborate Ellis’s account, and no physical marks were visible on Ellis’s face during the brief hallway clash.

The hearing recessed for lunch and is set to resume Thursday, with both sides preparing closing arguments in the closely watched case.