On January 24, 2022 Cardi B won a defamation lawsuit against Youtuber Tasha K, and was awarded $1.25 million for general damages. In 2019, Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Almanzar, filed a lawsuit against Youtuber Tasha K (Latasha Kebe) for defamation and libel after she posted several slanderous videos on her YouTube channel. 

Cardi B, who is a rapper, originally sued Kebe for posting several slanderous videos on her YouTube channel claiming that the rapper engaged in prostitution and the use of cocaine and other drugs. After the original video was posted, Cardi B sent the Youtuber a cease-and-desist letter, which asked for it’s immediate removal from her channel. However, Kebe ignored the letter, and proceeded to post a second video, claiming that everything she had said before was accurate, and that the rapper was also cheating on her husband. According to Cardi B’s lawyer, “Kebe published multiple false and defamatory statements about Plaintiff, including that Plaintiff was a prostitute, that Plaintiff was a user of cocaine, that Plaintiff had and still has herpes.” In a court filing responding to the lawsuit, Cardi B had contacted the Youtuber privately about the videos, but Kebe responded by saying she didn’t want to speak privately, and that the rapper could come onto her Youtube channel and address the claims if she wished. Cardi B then declined and began to publicly trash the Youtuber for her lies and comments. 

In the lawsuit, it is stated that Tasha K knew that the statements she was publishing were false. In an attempt to save herself in the lawsuit, Kebe stated that Cardi B was guilty of assault and intentional emotional distress on her. U.S. District Judge William Ray dismissed her claim, saying that she has failed to produce evidence that Cardi B caused any emotional distress or assault. In a statement by Cardi B, she said, “These past couple years have been difficult for me and constantly reliving it. Very hard for me.” She stated that several times over the course of the lawsuit, she said she “felt extremely suicidal” and “only an evil person could do that”. 

In total, Cardi B was awarded $1.25 million on January 24 for general damages, and an additional $2.8  million on January 25. Since the lawsuit, Kebe said, “These four years fighting this conspiracy case have been extremely challenging, and yet I wouldn’t change a single thing about any of it. I’ve learned so much.” She also claimed that she was the true victim of the lawsuit, not Cardi B, whom she had attacked repeatedly on YouTube. Kebe also claims that she has plans to expand her online blogging business despite having to pay $4 million in legal fees. As her final statement, she said, “I know y’all maybe think this is over, but no, this is just the beginning. I will spend as many years as I can to protect our right to voice our opinions.”