Cardi B Wins Million-Dollar Defamation Verdict Against ‘Malicious’ Youtuber(Photo Credit: Instagram)
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It’s a happy moment for rapper Cardi B. Born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, the WAP singer who was a stripper during her initial years but said it had a positive impact on her life in many ways, including her going back to school, escaping poverty, domestic violence and more. Now as per a recent report, the rapper is victorious in her legal battle against YouTuber Latasha Kebe.
For the unversed, Cardi B had filed a case against Kebe in 2019 for waging a “malicious campaign” to hurt her reputation by stating the mother of two had contracted herpes, f*cked herself with beer bottles, among other unsavoury rumours.
As per a report by The Hollywood Reporter, a federal jury sided with Cardi B in her case against YouTuber Latasha Kebe. The court issued a verdict stating that the woman in question had defamed the rapper and awarding the star more than $1 million in damages. The trial for the same was heard for two weeks and featured testimony from both women. The jury’s verdict stated that Latasha was liable for defamation and two other forms of wrongdoing over her YouTube videos and other internet posts.
The report further stated that as per the verdict, Cardi B was awarded $1.25 million in damages, but the total could end up higher. Proceedings will kick off today to decide whether Kebe owes additional punitive damages, or whether she must reimburse Cardi B for her legal expenses. In addition to defamation, the jury also held Kebe liable for invasion of privacy through portrayal in a false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The site tried contacting both the ladies’ attorneys but neither were available immediately for comment.
As per THR, Cardi B sued Latasha Kebe in 2019 over several videos that contained shocking claims about her. In one of the videos – cited in the lawsuit – there includes a statement that reads Cardi B “f*cked herself with beer bottles on f*cking stripper stages.” Other videos said she had contracted herpes, that she had been a prostitute, that she had cheated on her husband, had done hard drugs and more.
The trial kicked off on January 10 in a Georgian federal court. During the trial, Cardi B testified that she felt “suicidal” when these videos were released. She also said that “only an evil person could do that shit.” Reportedly, Kebe initially admitted that she knowingly published lies about the rapper, but she later tried to take back that statement. Kebe’s attorneys can challenge the verdict to the judge in the weeks ahead. If he upholds it, her attorneys can then appeal the verdict to a federal appeals court.
