Cardi B's Devastating Court Testimony In Defamation Case Reveals The Extent Of Her Pain
Since bursting onto the hip-hop scene in the 2010s, Cardi B has attracted plenty of attention, both because of her chart-topping music and because of her many controversies and legal issues. Cardi is no stranger to appearing in court, but her latest appearance was her own doing. In March 2019, Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, sued YouTuber Latasha "Tasha K" Kebe for carrying out a "malicious campaign" against her, as Insider noted. In the suit, Cardi accused Kebe of uploading 38 videos between April 2018 and March 2019 with the intent of spreading "degrading and harassing" claims about the rapper, according to Rolling Stone.
According to Cardi, Kebe accused her of being a sex worker, contracting STDs, engaging "in a debasing act with a beer bottle," cheating on her husband Offset, and putting her unborn child at risk of disabilities for using drugs while pregnant, according to Insider. Kebe denied the accusations and filed a $3 million countersuit against Cardi alleging harassment, the report detailed. A judge dismissed Kebe's case in July 2021, concluding she "failed to produce any evidence that [Cardi] herself threatened [Latasha] or made her believe that she was going to harm her," as TMZ reported.
Cardi's case against Kebe, on the other hand, moved forward. The trial started in federal court on January 10 and is expected to last at least two weeks, according to Billboard. Cardi took the witness stand on January 13, giving testimony that illustrates the extent of her suffering throughout the ordeal.
Cardi B had 'suicidal' thoughts following Tasha K claims
Cardi B addressed a federal jury on January 13 in an attempt to show the impact of Latasha Kebe's claims against her, according to TMZ. "I wanted to commit suicide over the things" Kebe was spreading, Cardi said from the witness stand. Cardi gave birth to her first child with rapper Offset in July 2018, just months after she contends Kebe was uploading the degrading videos to her YouTube channel. As a result, she spent her pregnancy feeling like "I didn't deserve my kid," she told the court.
The claims also took a toll on her relationship with Offset, whom she secretly married in September 2017, according to Billboard. A report from People revealed the couple briefly split in late December 2018. "I felt defeated and depressed, and I didn't want to sleep with my husband," Cardi told the jury. Cardi doubled down on her belief that Kebe had malicious intentions with her videos. "I felt like only a demon could do that s**t," Cardi said, before apologizing for her language.
Cardi's case is hard to prove, as judges tend to side with the First Amendment, according to Billboard. However, a legal expert told Rolling Stone that Cardi has a strong case because the claims against her are "very specific factual statements" that can be proved wrong. Kebe's own testimony from January 13 might also give Cardi an edge. "I knew that s**t was fake," Kebe told jurors (via Law360). "I wanted the money. This is a business."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).