Cardi B Secures Victory in Defamation Case Against Former Security Guard
In a significant win for the Grammy-winning rapper, Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman denied former security guard Emani Ellis's request for a new trial in their defamation case. The judge ruled that there was no basis to overturn the unanimous verdict in favor of Cardi B (whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar), who was accused by Ellis of physically assaulting her outside a Beverly Hills doctor's office in 2018.
The incident in question occurred after Almánzar, then pregnant with her first child, had a heated confrontation with Ellis. Almánzar claimed that Ellis was filming her while she was pregnant, which led to their argument. However, it is worth noting that Almánzar did not disclose her pregnancy until two weeks later, on September 17.
Ellis alleged that Almánzar scratched her face with an acrylic fingernail during the altercation. However, a video of the incident shows Almánzar throwing a pen to the ground after YouTube vlogger Donat Ricketts shouted questions at her about her rumored pregnancy with partner Stefon Diggs.
Judge Fusselman denied Ellis's request for a new trial, finding no basis to overturn the unanimous verdict. He rejected Ellis's claim that two eyewitnesses should have been barred for late disclosure and dismissed the argument that jurors were "intimidated" by Cardi after she threw a pen outside the courthouse shortly before the September 2 verdict in her favor.
In his ruling, Judge Fusselman noted that the jurors paid close attention to the trial and returned a verdict based on the evidence. He stated that there was no evidence to suggest that anything outside the courtroom had any impact on the jury's deliberations.
The judge also denied Ellis's motion for sanctions against Almánzar's lawyer, Ron Rosen Janfaza, who claimed that Ellis intentionally hid the identity of the obstetrician and medical office assistant who became Almánzar's star witnesses. Judge Fusselman agreed with Almánzar's lawyers, who argued that Ellis knew all along the identity of the doctor and his receptionist.
The judge's ruling comes as no surprise, given Cardi B's long history of success in defamation cases. In addition to her victory against former security guard Emani Ellis, she has also won several other high-profile cases, including a $4 million jury verdict against celebrity gossip vlogger Latasha Kebe and a libel lawsuit that named her as a defendant alongside her sister, Hennessy.
Cardi B's ability to navigate complex defamation cases is likely due in part to her savvy business acumen and reputation for being fiercely protective of her personal brand. As she continues to build her music career and expand her reach into film and television, it will be interesting to see how she navigates the ever-changing landscape of celebrity litigation.
In a significant win for the Grammy-winning rapper, Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman denied former security guard Emani Ellis's request for a new trial in their defamation case. The judge ruled that there was no basis to overturn the unanimous verdict in favor of Cardi B (whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar), who was accused by Ellis of physically assaulting her outside a Beverly Hills doctor's office in 2018.
The incident in question occurred after Almánzar, then pregnant with her first child, had a heated confrontation with Ellis. Almánzar claimed that Ellis was filming her while she was pregnant, which led to their argument. However, it is worth noting that Almánzar did not disclose her pregnancy until two weeks later, on September 17.
Ellis alleged that Almánzar scratched her face with an acrylic fingernail during the altercation. However, a video of the incident shows Almánzar throwing a pen to the ground after YouTube vlogger Donat Ricketts shouted questions at her about her rumored pregnancy with partner Stefon Diggs.
Judge Fusselman denied Ellis's request for a new trial, finding no basis to overturn the unanimous verdict. He rejected Ellis's claim that two eyewitnesses should have been barred for late disclosure and dismissed the argument that jurors were "intimidated" by Cardi after she threw a pen outside the courthouse shortly before the September 2 verdict in her favor.
In his ruling, Judge Fusselman noted that the jurors paid close attention to the trial and returned a verdict based on the evidence. He stated that there was no evidence to suggest that anything outside the courtroom had any impact on the jury's deliberations.
The judge also denied Ellis's motion for sanctions against Almánzar's lawyer, Ron Rosen Janfaza, who claimed that Ellis intentionally hid the identity of the obstetrician and medical office assistant who became Almánzar's star witnesses. Judge Fusselman agreed with Almánzar's lawyers, who argued that Ellis knew all along the identity of the doctor and his receptionist.
The judge's ruling comes as no surprise, given Cardi B's long history of success in defamation cases. In addition to her victory against former security guard Emani Ellis, she has also won several other high-profile cases, including a $4 million jury verdict against celebrity gossip vlogger Latasha Kebe and a libel lawsuit that named her as a defendant alongside her sister, Hennessy.
Cardi B's ability to navigate complex defamation cases is likely due in part to her savvy business acumen and reputation for being fiercely protective of her personal brand. As she continues to build her music career and expand her reach into film and television, it will be interesting to see how she navigates the ever-changing landscape of celebrity litigation.
. She's proven herself to be quite the savvy businesswoman and has consistently protected her personal brand over the years. Her history of success in defamation cases is a testament to her ability to effectively navigate complex legal situations.
. Emani Ellis's claims against Cardi B were largely based on speculation and unfounded assumptions, which ultimately proved to be no match for the rapper's evidence-based defense.
. This is a classic strategy used by successful litigators, and it's clear that they played a key role in securing the unanimous verdict.
.
! I was following the trial with my friend 
and we were like "no way!" 
when Ellis kept claiming that Cardi scratched her face 
. But the video proved otherwise 
, and it's clear what really happened 
.
and ruled in favor of Cardi B's team 
. Can we talk about something else now? 
. The judge was totally right to deny her request for a new trial - there was no basis for it at all. And can we talk about how ridiculous Ellis's argument was about the two eyewitnesses? Like, girl, if you're going to claim that your testimony was suppressed, then have the guts to put it in writing and file an actual motion instead of just whining about it online 
. Anyway, I'm not surprised Cardi B came out on top - she's got more money than sense, but hey, being a strong woman (and a successful rapper) is worth all the drama 
.
This whole thing makes me think about how we weigh the truth in public spaces... Like, what happens when someone tries to make a name out of another person's private moments? 
. I wonder if we'll ever reach a point where everyone can just live their lives without being scrutinized by others? 
. The video evidence pretty much speaks for itself, and Cardi didn't exactly do anything out of the ordinary during the confrontation 
. It's not like she was trying to intimidate anyone or hide something...she just got defensive and threw that pen on the ground 
.
...I mean, she knows how to protect her brand and take care of herself in these kinds of situations 
...she's got experience under her belt now!
...she can focus on her music and other projects without all this drama hanging over her head 
.
. I'm all about a strong woman standing up for herself, especially when her reputation is on the line 
Ellis must've been trying to get some clickbait footage out of the situation and just didn't count on Cardi being all up in her grill 
it's literally the most relatable thing ever i was watching this and my dog started barking at the screen like "what's going on over there?" 
Cardi B is soooo lucky! 
Defamation case all about Emani Ellis trying to ruin her rep. 
But not on our watch! 
Team Cardi is the real MVPs! 
The fact that she's won multiple high-profile cases like this one is a testament to her intelligence and determination.
, we were all super invested in seeing Cardi B come out on top. I gotta say, I'm not surprised at all that Judge Fusselman denied Emani Ellis's request for a new trial - the video footage from back then is pretty clear that she was the one getting all aggressive and throwing pens 
. I mean, we love watching celebrities fight in the courts almost as much as we love listening to their albums, but at the end of the day, it's just not what we signed up for 
so Cardi B is like a defamation expert now lol she just got another win in court and its not even surprising 
what i find kinda funny tho is that Emani Ellis thought he could just drag Cardi B through court for like a million bucks 
kudos to her team too, they really know their stuff