Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Just hours after releasing her new single, “Press,”Cardi Bappeared before a judge in her ongoing strip club misdemeanor assault case on Friday in New York City.
With a grand jury on the case, her misdemeanor counts of assault and reckless endangerment could be upgraded to stiffer charges.
Cardi’s next court date has been set for Aug. 9. Her attorney Jeff Kern did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Cardi B.BACKGRID
The alleged assault occurred last August, when bartenders Baddie Gi and Jade of Angel’s Strip Club claimed that Cardi (whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar) ordered an attack on the women because she believedher husbandOffset had had an affair with one of them, according to theNew York TimesandTMZ.
A police spokespersontold CNNthat Cardi was allegedly “throwing chairs, bottles and hookahs in the club at 3 a.m.” NBC New York reported Cardi wascaught on camera tossing an ice bucketat the women.
In October, Cardisurrendered to policeand was subsequently arrested, fingerprinted, had a mugshot taken and was charged with one count of assault and two counts of reckless endangerment, PEOPLE confirmed at the time.
“We’re aware of no evidence that she caused anybody any harm on that night,” the rapper’s lawyer Kern told press outside the police station at the time. “We expect that the matter is going to be resolved expeditiously.”
Cardi B.Mark Lennihan/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Joe Tacopina, an attorney for the alleged victims, begged to differ.
“Cardi Bordered and committed violent assaults against my clients, and is being called to justice for her crimes,” he told PEOPLE in a statement. “Apparently, she thinks her celebrity status puts her above the law, since she has bragged to multiple people and on social media that she orchestrated these vicious attacks.”
Months later on Dec. 7 — the same morning the “Money” rapperreceived five Grammy nominations— Cardiappeared in courton assault and reckless endangerment charges after a summons was issued for her connection with the attack.
In April, Cardi reportedly rejected a plea deal, according to multiple outlets, includingCBS New York.The BlastandABC 7report the deal would have called for Cardi to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault in the third degree. After conditions were met, the outlets report the case would have been dismissed and the rapper would not have had to serve any jail time.
source: people.com
