Cardi B was awarded nearly $3 million in punitive damages and attorneys’ fees on Tuesday in her libel lawsuit against celebrity gossip blogger Tasha K.
The award comes on top of the $1.25 million that jurors awarded on Monday, after finding Tasha K, whose real name is Latasha Kebe, liable on counts of defamation, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress.
Cardi B sued Kebe in 2019 over several videos uploaded to her YouTube channel that made harmful claims about the rap artist. Kebe claimed Cardi B contracted herpes, was a prostitute, cheated on her husband, took hard drugs, would give birth to a child with intellectual disabilities and had engaged in lewd acts with beer bottles, among other assertions.
Cardi B’s lawyers said Kebe was “obsessed with slandering” the “Bodak Yellow” rapper and continued posting slanderous content because it got more views than her other posts. Cardi B’s lawyers added that the rapper was not a prostitute, had never had herpes and had never used cocaine.
The federal jury in Georgia awarded $1 million on Monday to cover Cardi B’s pain, suffering and reputational damage, as well as another $250,000 for medical expenses. On Tuesday, the jurors ordered Kebe to pay an additional $1 million in punitive damages and her company Kebe Studios LLC to pay another $500,000. On top of that, Kebe is required to reimburse Cardi B for the personal cost of bringing the lawsuit — a total of $1,338,753.47. That brings the total verdict to nearly $4.1 million, as confirmed by Cardi B’s lawyer, Lisa F. Moore.
Sadeer Sabbak, who represented Kebe in the case, issued a terse statement: “We disagree with the verdict and we will be filing an appeal.”
In a statement sent toPvNew, Cardi B said, “After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness. I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial. I am grateful for the jury and their careful deliberation over the past two weeks. I am profoundly grateful for the hard work and support from my legal team. Most importantly, thank you to my family and close friends who held my hand and helped me get the support I needed during this experience.”
Cardi B continued, “During this trial, all of you have learned about the darkest time in my life. That moment in time was fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online. I thought I would never be heard or vindicated and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable. 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.”
Cardi B was represented in the trial by Moore and William A. Pequignot of Moore Pequignot LLC and by Gary P. Adelman and Sarah M. Matz of Adelman Matz PC. Kebe was represented by Sabbak and Olga Izmaylova of Sabbak & Izmaylova PC.
Read Cardi B’s full statement below.
After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness. I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial. I am grateful for the jury and their careful deliberation over the past two weeks. I am profoundly grateful for the hard work and support from my legal team. Most importantly, thank you to my family and close friends who held my hand and helped me get the support I needed during this experience.
During this trial, all of you have learned about the darkest time in my life. That moment in time was fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online. I thought I would never be heard or vindicated and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable. 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. And not just justice for me. The truth is that the intentional harm that was done to me, is done to countless others every day. 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. 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 behavior 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.
My career began on social media so I know the power it has. Over the past few years, we’ve seen how social media platforms were able to bring important and necessary conversations to the forefront — such as Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, and Women’s Rights. However, we’ve also seen countless stories of children and adults deciding to take their own lives due to cyberbullying and intentional attacks. So while I am very grateful that this trial has come to its conclusion and the jury has rendered a powerful and substantial message, literally — I really hope that my experience forces all of us, but especially the platforms who allow this behavior to be a part of their communities, to re-think what moves us forward as a society versus what cripples us.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-TALK.
