In the tempestuous world of hip hop, few artists command attention quite like Cardi B. Yet, for Cardi, it hasn’t been just her chart-topping hits making waves recently. On the legal front, the rapper is celebrating another victory, as a Los Angeles County judge denied a retrial in a civil assault case against her, cementing her 2–0 lead against her accuser, former security guard Emani Ellis.

The case stemmed from an alleged incident in 2018, where Ellis claimed Cardi had scratched her face outside a Beverly Hills OB-GYN’s office. The narrative was looking to take another twist as the plaintiff, Ellis, sought a retrial, accusing Cardi B of jury intimidation during the proceedings. This claim arose from a viral moment where Cardi allegedly tossed a pen angrily at YouTuber Donat Ricketts outside the courthouse. This dramatic event became a focal point of Ellis’s plea for a new trial, arguing it might have influenced the jury.

In a ruling that showcased the complexities of celebrity influence in legal matters, Los Angeles County Judge Ian Fusselman denied the retrial. According to Rolling Stone, Judge Fusselman was firm in his stance that the initial verdict had been reached strictly based on the evidence presented in court. He questioned Ellis’s argument, suggesting the pen incident might have conversely worked in her favor by displaying Cardi’s potential volatility to the jury.

This is not the first time Cardi B has found herself under legal scrutiny and emerged victorious. Her assertive public persona often makes headlines, and her recent courthouse dramatics could be seen as an extension of her spirited nature. But in this case, the evidence—or lack thereof—was the primary driver behind her legal victory.

“Stop disrespecting me,” Cardi reportedly told Ricketts during the courtyard confrontment, before hurling the pen angrily toward him. Ricketts later submitted a sworn statement claiming the pen had indeed bounced and struck him, although he stated that he wasn’t filing a lawsuit over the incident. Whether or not the jury felt the tension from that exchange, the pen toss echoed Cardi’s no-holds-barred approach that her fans have come to expect.

Despite Ellis’s attempts to sway the court to see the pen incident through her lens, Judge Fusselman remained unconvinced that it had intimidated the jury. “They were free to ask any questions or make any comments, and they didn’t,” Fusselman pointed out, reinforcing his conclusion that the jury had acted independently of any external courtroom dramas.

After emerging from her legal ordeal unscathed, Cardi B took the opportunity to clear the air. “I did not touch that woman,” she reiterated to reporters following her courtroom victory. It’s a message that solidifies her stance against the allegations that have all but fallen flat against judicial scrutiny.

This case’s outcome adds to Cardi B’s ongoing legal fabric, reinforcing an image of an artist both formidable in talent and unapologetically brash in demeanor. With this legal win, Cardi’s narrative continues to blend courtroom drama with her already dynamic artistic repertoire, leaving fans to wonder what will come next in her always eventful career.