What are the charges against Cardi B? Rapper denies assaulting security guard in 2nd day of trial 

On day two of the ongoing trial on August 26, 2025, Cardi B opened up about the civil assault case filed against her by Emani Ellis. The latter accused the rapper of physically assaulting her at a medical office in 2018.

It all started in 2020 when Ellis filed a lawsuit against Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almànzar. She accused the rapper of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and false imprisonment, per ABC7.

Ellis worked as a security guard in a medical office in Beverly Hills. In her lawsuit, she claimed that one day in 2018, she saw Cardi in the office where she had an appointment. It was during the time when the artist's first pregnancy with Offset hadn't been publicly announced. According to PageSix, she accused the rapper of getting agitated, shouting "racial slurs," "body-shaming her, and allegedly assaulting her outside the office.

Cardi, however, denied all allegations. Recently, she arrived at the court on day two of the trial conducted on Tuesday, August 26, and addressed some of the reporters' questions. When asked if she felt the case was "a shakedown for money", the rapper responded affirmatively. ABC7 reported that the artist was then asked if Ellis was recording her without consent, and she answered:

"Yes, and nobody touched each other."

Cardi claimed that Ellis allegedly started recording her, and she feared for her safety. She also said that there was only a verbal spat and no physical assault was involved from either side.

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More about Cardi B and her team's statements in her assault lawsuit

On the first day of the trial held on Monday, August 25, Emani Ellis testified in court. She claimed that Cardi B allegedly attacked her, striking her on her face and body, and also spat on her. According to ABC7, she said:

"The whole incident was super traumatizing for me. She did a lot that day."

However, Cardi, in her testimony on Tuesday, claimed that Ellis was the aggressor. She said that the security guard allegedly started recording her without consent as soon as she entered the building. She further said:

"You're recording me. Now you're following me, like back up. And she's like, 'I can do what I want.' It's like, 'No, you can't. You can't do what you want.' And that's when we started arguing."

Cardi at the 67th GRAMMY Awards (Image via Getty)

As reported by HotNewHipHop, the rapper's lawyer, Peter Anderson, also claimed that Ellis was the aggressor in the incident. He elaborated:

“Cardi B was facing someone, with all respect, who testified she was 240-250 pounds, wearing black military boots, hovering over her, yelling and screaming at her, taking swings at her, trying to get to her. There will be evidence that it was [Ellis] who yelled, ‘I will f*ck your sh*t up.’ That’s when someone intervened and dragged [Ellis] to an elevator and said, ‘You have to leave.'”

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Since it is a civil assault case, Emani Ellis is seeking monetary damages from the rapper, the amount of which is unknown. Meanwhile, the trial comes just a few weeks before the release of Cardi B's second studio album, Am I the Drama?, on September 19.