Rapper Cardi B has expressed her happiness at winning her defamation battle against LaTasha Kebe, a YouTuber who goes by Tasha K.
“After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness,” Cardi said in a statement to Page Six. “I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial.”
Cardi’s statement came after she won an addition $3 million in damages and attorneys’ fees, a day after a jury had already awarded her $1.25 million in the lawsuit.
The ‘Bodak Yellow’ artist opened up about the difficult time she faced when “vile, disgusting and completely false narratives” were being “repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online.”
On her YouTube channel, Kebe targeted Cardi through dozens of videos where she claimed the rapper took hard drugs, had an STD and had cheated on her husband, rapper Offset. Cardi first filed the lawsuit in 2019.
“I felt completely helpless and vulnerable,” Cardi said. “I have never taken for granted the platform that my fame allows me to have, which is why for over three years I dedicated every resource I had to seek justice.”
The Grammy winner called out bullies on social media and hoped that her legal battle would inspire change.
“The only difference between me and the high schooler who is being cyberbullied and lied on by their classmates is the money and resources I have access to,” she added. “We collectively have to say enough is enough. We can no longer be a society that turns a blind eye to blatant lies. The unchecked behaviour and provably false content on platforms like YouTube have to be addressed and removed. The constant harassment and lies that are reported as factual from journalists and bloggers have to end.”
Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, testified during the trial that the videos took a heavy emotional toll on her.
“I felt extremely suicidal,” she said on the witness stand. “I felt defeated and depressed... Only an evil person could do that [expletive].”
