Cardi B is now officially victorious in her ongoing lawsuit against a YouTube star over claims of defamation, portrayal in a false light, and emotional distress.
The Bodak Yellow rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, was awarded big bucks on Monday by a federal jury in Atlanta at the culmination of her contentious court case against vlogger Tasha K.
As Perezcious readers will recall, Cardi first sued the video blogger, whose real name is Latasha Kebe, back in 2019 over several dubious claims and salacious allegations published in videos on YouTube. Most controversially, those claims included the incorrect assertion that the performer supposedly had herpes.
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According to court docs obtained on Monday night by ET, the 29-year-old New York native was awarded $1.25 million in damages by the federal jury earlier in the day. Of that, $1 million covers what the jury termed as general damages, with the other $250,000 meant for ongoing medical and mental health expenses.
Concurrently, Tasha K was officially found guilty on the claims of defamation and emotional distress. Per Billboard, the vlogger may still be on the hook for “additional punitive damages” as well, when court resumes on Tuesday. That could also include Cardi’s legal expenses. Kebe’s lawyers can still challenge the verdict, as well. Still, this legal development marks a milestone win for Cardi’s side.
The medical expense distinction is significant here, because as we previously reported, Cardi claimed on the stand that she struggled with her mental health as the YouTuber posted unfounded allegations. Last week, during testimony in the trial, the Up rapper said “only an evil person could do that s**t,” and revealed Tasha K’s claims published to nearly one million subscribers made Cardi feel “extremely suicidal” and “helpless.”
Those incorrect claims included the aforementioned herpes allegation, as well as other baseless rumors that the rapper had previously prostituted herself while working as a stripper, that she was supposedly addicted to drugs, and that she had supposedly been unfaithful to her partner Offset.
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At the time, Cardi testified that she suffered anxiety, migraine headaches, weight loss, and exhaustion in response to the incorrect allegations. She also went on record about the sexual health claims against her, vehemently denying the herpes rumor. To that end, the WAP performer explained Tasha K’s claims negatively spilled into her family life, after Kebe called her “Herpes B,” and social media users began to question whether it was appropriate for Cardi to kiss her daughter Kulture on the lips.
Obviously, as she indicated on the stand, these claims have negatively affected Cardi’s life for quite some time. So, it’s a significant step forward now to see that there’s legal vindication for that.
[Image via WENN/Avalon]