Cardi B Awarded $4M in Libel Suit Against YouTuber

Tasha K claimed rapper was prostitute, cocaine user
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 25, 2022 7:26 PM CST
Cardi B Wins Libel Suit Against YouTuber Tasha K
Cardi B performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., on June 16, 2019.   (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Cardi B has been awarded more than $4 million in her libel lawsuit against Tasha K. The rapper took the gossip blogger, also known as Latasha Kebe, to court after she posted videos on YouTube claiming that Cardi B was a prostitute and cocaine user whose child would be born with mental disabilities, BuzzFeed reports. Kebe also claimed Cardi B had herpes and had cheated on her husband. A federal jury in Georgia awarded the rapper $1 million in general damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $250,000 in medical expenses and more than $1.3 million in legal fees.

Cardi B filed suit in 2019 for defamation, invasion of privacy, and infliction of emotional distress, saying Kebe had slandered her to get more viewers for her YouTube channel, reports Variety. She testified that the videos made her feel "extremely suicidal" and said "only an evil person could do that," per the Guardian. In a statement after the court victory, the rapper thanked the judge, jury, and her legal team.

In her statement, Cardi B said the darkest time in her life "was fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online." She said the "unchecked behavior and provably false behavior on platforms like YouTube have to be addressed and removed." Kebe said she plans to issue a response to the verdict on YouTube Wednesday. Her lawyers said an appeal is planned. (Cardi B is covering funeral expenses for the 17 people who died in the Bronx fire earlier this month.)

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