As trial proceedings began on August 26, 2025, in a Los Angeles courtroom, rapper Cardi B faced serious allegations of assault from former security guard Emani Ellis, who claims the Grammy-winning artist attacked her during an encounter at a Beverly Hills medical building in 2018.
The incident allegedly occurred on February 24 when Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, was visiting her obstetrician while approximately four months pregnant and attempting to keep her condition private.
According to Ellis’ testimony, the confrontation erupted as Cardi B exited an elevator on the fifth floor of the medical facility. Ellis alleges the rapper “viciously attacked” her without provocation, jabbing a finger in her face while releasing a tirade of profanity that included racial and body-shaming slurs.
A heated confrontation where the star allegedly unleashed unprovoked verbal and physical aggression against the security personnel.
Most seriously, Ellis claims Cardi B spat on her and cut her left cheek with a fingernail “approximately three inches long,” leading to lasting emotional trauma including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic symptoms.
Cardi B has vehemently denied these accusations from the witness stand, offering a starkly different account. The rapper contends that Ellis was actually the aggressor, attempting to record videos of her without permission during a sensitive medical visit.
“There was no assault,” Cardi B testified, maintaining that Ellis initiated the confrontation by “screaming and attempting to strike” her first.
The civil suit, which Ellis didn’t file until 2020, has drawn significant scrutiny from jurors who questioned the plaintiff about elevator surveillance cameras and the timing of injury documentation. During cross-examination, Cardi B’s attorney highlighted inconsistencies in Ellis’s account regarding the exact location of the alleged facial cut.
Photographs of Ellis’ alleged facial injury were introduced as evidence, though the defense has disputed whether physical evidence supports the extent of injury claimed.
For her part, Cardi B appeared confident throughout her testimony, while Ellis attributed her delayed legal action to emotional overwhelm and confusion about how to proceed after the incident.
The ongoing legal battle could potentially impact Cardi B’s income from licensing her music for television and film projects, which has been a significant revenue stream for the artist in recent years.
Industry insiders note that performance rights organizations like ASCAP or BMI could be monitoring the case as it might affect royalty collection for the artist’s work.
The trial continues with both sides presenting contradictory narratives about what truly transpired during those 60 to 90 seconds of confrontation in the Beverly Hills medical building.
