Cardi B has taken the stand in Los Angeles to testify in a civil trial stemming from an alleged altercation with a security guard in 2018.
The rapper born Belcalis Almánzar, is facing a lawsuit from former security guard Emani Ellis, who accuses her of assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress.
Ellis claims Cardi struck her, spit on her, and cut her face with a fingernail during a confrontation at a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office while the artist was four months pregnant with her first child.
Testifying on Tuesday, Cardi denied that the incident ever turned physical, though she admitted calling Ellis a “b****” during a heated exchange, as per Daily Mail’s reports.
In regards to this, she told the court, “We had a verbal fight, but it didn’t get physical at all. She didn’t hit me, I didn’t hit her. There was no touch. So to me, it wasn’t an incident.”
According to Cardi’s account, Ellis, who worked in the building, began following and recording her on a cellphone as she left her doctor’s appointment.
As per the publication, the rapper said she confronted the guard about filming her without consent, describing the encounter as an invasion of her privacy.
Ellis, who testified the day before, alleged that Cardi did, in fact, spit on her, body-shamed her, and swiped at her face with a long fingernail.
She further accused the star of using profanities and racial slurs. Cardi denied those allegations, saying under oath that she neither struck nor spit on Ellis.
Furthermore, the lawsuit, filed in 2020, also claims the Invasion of Privacy hitmaker used her influence to have Ellis fired.
However, building representatives have said Ellis was dismissed by medical staff who believed she had violated patient privacy, as per the outlet.
Cardi B, who arrived in court in a grey tweed suit and blonde curls, appeared calm as she gave her testimony, which was streamed on Court TV.