Cardi B has successfully shut down another attempt to bring her back into court over a 2018 incident outside a Beverly Hills doctor’s office.
This time, the Grammy-winning rapper did not even need to appear in court.
Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman denied the request for a new trial filed by security guard Emani Ellis on Dec. 5.
According to court documents obtained by Complex, the judge found no legal grounds to overturn the previous unanimous jury verdict in Cardi’s favor.
The retrial request centered on claims that jurors might have been intimidated after Cardi threw a pen to the ground when approached by YouTuber Donat Ricketts outside the courthouse.
In a video of the incident, Cardi firmly told Ricketts to “stop disrespecting me.” At the time, Cardi was secretly pregnant and would announce her pregnancy officially on Sept. 17.
Judge Fusselman reviewed a sworn declaration from Ricketts, who confirmed the pen bounced after hitting the ground and that he had no intention of suing Cardi.
Cardi’s attorneys argued that any suggestion of jury intimidation was speculative and unsupported by evidence, and the judge agreed.
“They were free to ask any questions or make any comments, and they didn’t,” Judge Fusselman said. “I don’t find that anything outside the courtroom had any impact on the jury’s deliberations.” He also highlighted that the jury’s verdict was firmly grounded in the evidence presented during the trial.
The original case concluded on Sept. 2, with jurors taking just one hour to determine that Cardi had not assaulted Ellis. Afterward, Cardi passionately defended her innocence.
“I swear to God I will say it in my deathbed: I did not touch that woman. I did not touch that girl, I didn’t lay my hands on that girl,” she declared.
Cardi also warned others against attempting frivolous lawsuits. “With that being said, this time around, I’m gonna be nice. The next person to try to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I’m going to countersue, and I’m gonna make you pay because this is not OK,” she stated.
This court decision reinforces Cardi B’s commitment to protecting her reputation and ensures that baseless claims cannot undermine her career or personal life.
