Los Angeles: Rap superstar Cardi B has emerged victorious in a long-running legal battle after a California jury found her not liable for allegedly assaulting a security guard during a 2018 incident.

The lawsuit, filed by former security guard Emani Ellis, accused the rapper of scratching her face with a fingernail and spitting on her during a heated exchange at a Beverly Hills doctor’s office. At the time, Cardi B was secretly four months pregnant with her first child with fellow rapper Offset.

Ellis claimed the altercation left her physically and emotionally scarred, causing her to lose work and undergo cosmetic treatment. She sought up to $24 million in damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, and lost income.

But the jury sided decisively with Cardi B, deliberating for less than an hour before rejecting the claims. The rapper, born Belcalis Almánzar, testified that the confrontation never became physical and said she was distressed by the possibility that her pregnancy could be exposed.

“I told her, ‘Why are you recording?’ and she said, ‘Oh my bad.’ She practically apologized,” Cardi told the court, maintaining that the dispute was verbal only.

A receptionist who witnessed the incident corroborated Cardi’s account, saying the situation was tense but not violent.

With the verdict, Cardi B can now put the years-long legal saga behind her. The rapper left the courtroom smiling, clearly relieved after the swift and decisive ruling.