Cardi B testified in a Los Angeles County courtroom on Wednesday regarding an altercation outside the office of an obstetrician during her first pregnancy, denying she made contact with security guard Emani Ellis. Ellis claims Cardi scratched her face with a fingernail and spat on her. Cardi responded, "She couldn't get a scratch from me because I didn't touch her," characterizing the fight as fierce but purely verbal.
When questioned, Cardi confirmed she had been enraged, blaming her pregnancy for the extra sensitivity. She continued that Ellis trailed her to a private appointment and seemed to be filming her, which she believed would reveal her pregnancy before she was ready to announce it. The exchange was not violent, Cardi stressed despite the fiery argument.
Cardi justified her desire to maintain her pregnancy out of the spotlight, citing it as a private issue she wished to keep safe. "It's yours. Particularly something so sacred like a pregnancy," she testified. The rapper's acrylic nails with rhinestones were also mentioned in the testimony and were at the center of the charge of inflicting a scratch. Cardi maintained the nails were "coffin-shaped" and not pointed and disputed charges that they could have caused the alleged injury.
Ellis, who had previously testified, painted the experience as embarrassing and traumatic and mentioned that the facial scar needed cosmetic surgery. She is seeking compensation for medical bills, emotional harm, lost income, and punitive damages. Cardi reported Ellis is suing for $24 million in the lawsuit.
Tierra Malcolm, a receptionist at the doctor’s office, supported much of Cardi’s version of events. She stated she intervened to break up the argument and observed no physical altercation. Malcolm noted a scratch on her own face, which she attributed to Ellis, reinforcing the distinction between the two women’s claims.
The trial, conducted at an Alhambra, California, miniature courthouse, made headlines due to its celebrity association. The proceedings will resume next week, with the balance of the trial scheduled to wrap up shortly after that.
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