Cardi B cleared of assault allegations in civil trial

Following a civil trial that sparked a flurry of viral moments that captivated internet audiences, a jury on Tuesday cleared rapper Cardi B of any legal liability after she was accused of assaulting a security guard.

After a civil trial that sparked a flurry of viral moments that captivated internet audiences, a jury Tuesday cleared rapper Cardi B of any legal liability after she was accused of assaulting a security guard in 2018.

The jury in Los Angeles found that the security guard did not prove the elements of assault, negligence or emotional distress. Cardi B, wearing a black outfit with white dots and a red bow, made a sign of the cross after the jury read its conclusions.

"I'm not even playing around. Even if I'm at my death bed, I swear to God, I will say it at my death bed — I did not touch that woman," Cardi told reporters outside court after the verdict was read.

Cardi B in Alhambra, Calif., on Tuesday.PG/Bauer-Griffin / GC ImagesCardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, was sued by a former security guard who worked at a Beverly Hills building in 2018 when she was pregnant with her first child. The guard, Emani Ellis, alleged that Cardi spat on her and scratched her nose with a fingernail during a verbal altercation.

Cardi, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper, has denied the allegations. During her testimony last week, she alleged that Ellis followed her to the floor of her obstetrician's office and seemed to be recording her.