Cardi B cleared of assaulting security guard

Cardi B has been cleared of assault by a California jury in a civil trial brought by a former security guard.

The $24m (£17.9m) case was brought over an encounter outside an obstetrician's office in Beverly Hills in 2018.

Emani Ellis alleged the rapper cut her cheek with a fingernail and spat on her.

Cardi B, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, testified earlier on Wednesday that while an argument between her and Ms Ellis became aggressive, she didn't touch the security guard.

The Bodak Yellow rapper told the court she had been visiting Los Angeles for promotional work in February 2018, around that year's NBA All-Star Game.

She said she was four months into her pregnancy with the first of her three children with rapper Offset, and had not publicly shared news of her pregnancy

After attending an appointment at the obstetrician's office - which had been closed to other patients on a Saturday for her privacy - she said Ms Ellis followed her to her fifth-floor appointment.

Cardi then told the court she heard Ms Ellis say her name into a phone and appeared to be filming her, fearing Ms Ellis would out the fact that she was pregnant.

"I told her, 'Why are you recording?'" she testified, "and she said, 'Oh my bad.' She practically apologised.'"

As an argument broke out, Cardi said "she's walking into me" and testified that Ms Ellis was bigger than her,

"She is like, security-heavy," she added. "She just looks a little, like she could protect the building."

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Ms Ellis testified earlier in the trial that the incident left her humiliated and traumatised, and the scar on her face required cosmetic surgery.

The former security guard, who lost her job over the incident, was seeking damages that include medical expenses, compensation for emotional and physical suffering, and lost wages, along with punitive damages.

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