• Cardi B was cleared of all allegations in a trial regarding a $24M lawsuit
• The jury deliberated for under an hour before reaching a unanimous verdict
• The rapper claimed self-defense, stating she did not physically harm the security guard
• Emani Ellis, the plaintiff, argued she was assaulted and left with facial scars
• Cardi B plans to countersue for what she calls a frivolous lawsuit

Cardi B has been exonerated by a jury in a civil lawsuit filed against her by Emani Ellis, a security guard who accused the rapper of assault during a confrontation at a Beverly Hills obstetrician's office in February 2018. Ellis alleged that Cardi B scratched her face with a fingernail and spat on her, leading to a claim for $24 million in damages. After less than an hour of deliberation, jurors unanimously found Cardi not liable, siding with the rapper's account of the incident, according to BBC, LA Times, and CBS News.

During the trial, Cardi B testified that she feared Ellis was attempting to disclose her pregnancy publicly, as the rapper was four months pregnant at the time and her appointment was meant to be private. Although both women engaged in a heated argument, Cardi B maintained that it never escalated to physical assault. She stated, "I will say it on my deathbed. I did not touch that woman," highlighting her innocence after the verdict, according to India Times and Africa News.

Ellis testified that the alleged encounter left her "humiliated and traumatized," claiming that the incident resulted in a facial scar requiring surgery, as she sought emotional and financial damages. Cardi B refuted these claims by pointing to inconsistencies, as no physical evidence of the alleged assault was presented, further solidified by testimony from a receptionist who witnessed the confrontation, according to LA Times and CBS News.

In the wake of the ruling, Cardi B criticized the lawsuit as "frivolous" and indicated she would pursue a countersuit against Ellis for attempting to profit from a fabricated narrative. "I'm going to counter-sue, and I'm gonna make you pay," she asserted outside the courthouse, emphasizing her stance on false allegations, according to Africa News and LA Times.