On Tuesday, a jury ruled in favor of Cardi B in her federal libel case against blogger Tasha K and awarded her an additional $2.8 million. The 29-year-old rapper received $1.5 million in punitive damages and $1.3 million to cover her attorney’s fees. On Monday, the same jury found Tasha K, whose real name is Latasha Kebe, guilty of two counts of slander, one count of libel, and one count of invasion of privacy.
Cardi B, who was spotted in Santa Monica, California last month, has been granted an extra $2.8 million by a jury on Tuesday, as she had already won her federal defamation lawsuit against blogger Tasha K.
Belcalis Almánzar, commonly known as Cardi, has recently received $1 million in general damages and an additional $250,000 for medical expenses from a lawsuit against blogger Latasha. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where Latasha lives, and involved claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Latasha had posted videos on her YouTube channel alleging that Cardi had worked as a prostitute, suffered from drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases. Despite being sued by Cardi in 2019 for a ‘campaign of slander,’ Latasha refused to take down the videos, leading to the trial’s successful outcome for Cardi after just over a week.
Cardi B filed a lawsuit against Latasha K in 2019 over false allegations made in YouTube videos. Latasha claimed that Cardi had contracted herpes and regularly used cocaine while working as a prostitute, all of which were disputed by the rapper’s legal team. The lawsuit noted that none of these statements were true, and Cardi had never been a prostitute or used cocaine. Furthermore, she did not have herpes nor had she ever experienced outbreaks on her mouth. Following the verdict on Monday, Latasha took to Twitter to express her gratitude to her husband and attorneys for their hard work, stating that it was only the beginning and that she would be back to work in a few days.
Latasha expressed her gratitude to her husband and attorneys for working tirelessly and sacrificing sleep after the verdict was announced on Monday. Despite the setback, she remains optimistic about the future and promised to share her thoughts on the lawsuit on her YouTube channel on Wednesday. Her lawyers, Olga Izmaylova and Sadeer Sabbak, said in a statement that they did not agree with the verdict and would appeal. Cardi was present in court on Monday and according to an observer, she was delighted with the outcome.
Cardi B received a grand total of $4.05 million as compensation for damages and medical expenses, awarded by the jury on Monday and Tuesday. The rapper hugged her lawyers, Lisa Fortune Moore and Sarah Matz, in a three-way embrace after the announcement. Although Cardi has not released any direct comments about her victory, she shared a throwback photograph on her Instagram Stories showing her with her late maternal grandmother. In her caption, she thanked her queen for listening to her prayers, particularly during her hopeless and tired moments, even when it seemed like she had everything under control.
Cardi B remained silent on the verdict but took to Instagram later in the day to share a picture that looked like her grandmother on her mother’s side. She expressed gratitude towards her grandmother for answering her prayers without commenting further on the verdict.
Earlier this month, Cardi B made an emotional testimony in court where she admitted to feeling defeated and depressed, even to the point of contemplating suicide. This was during a period shortly after giving birth to her daughter Kulture with Migos rapper Offset. She also expressed feeling undeserving of her child. The rapper also criticized blogger Tasha K from the stand, deeming only a demon capable of such actions. In response, Tasha K filed a countersuit against Cardi B in 2019 but it was later dismissed by a judge. Cardi B was also called out for allegedly using derogatory language towards Tasha K on Instagram.
Rejected: In court, Cardi referred to Latasha K as a ‘demon,’ but later on, Latasha K filed a countersuit claiming that Cardi threatened to have gang members hurt her. However, in 2021, the judge dismissed the case.
