A Los Angeles jury has cleared Cardi B of all allegations in a civil lawsuit brought by a former security guard who claimed the rapper injured her during an altercation in 2018.

Emani Ellis alleged the Grammy-winning artist cut her face with a three-inch fingernail and spat on her outside an obstetrician’s office, later seeking $24m (£18m) in damages. At the time, Cardi B was four months pregnant with her first child, a fact that had not been made public.

Ellis told the court the incident left her “traumatised.” Cardi B, however, described the guard’s behaviour as intrusive, saying Ellis followed her and filmed her at close range, refusing to allow her privacy.

After hearing testimony over several days, the jury deliberated for roughly an hour before rejecting Ellis’s claims of assault, battery, negligence, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Speaking outside the courthouse following the verdict, Cardi B said: “I work all day and I work hard for my money, for my kids, for the people that I take care of. So don’t you ever think that you’re going to sue me, and I’m just going to settle.”

The rapper also urged her fans not to direct hostility toward Ellis or her family, stressing that the legal process had now concluded.

The case centred on a visit to her obstetrician’s office in Alhambra, Los Angeles County, where staff closed the clinic for the day in an attempt to shield her from public scrutiny. Cardi B’s pregnancy had not yet been revealed publicly.

The trial itself drew wide online attention, fuelled in part by the rapper’s testimony and striking courtroom appearances. Her daily changes of wigs and outfits became a recurring topic, with her fingernails — the alleged weapon in the dispute — scrutinised on multiple occasions. On the final day of proceedings, she appeared in a black and white polka dot suit with a red bow, her hair tied up.

During closing arguments, Ellis’s legal team argued it was for the jury to decide how much compensation their client deserved. Cardi B maintained that Ellis was pursuing the case solely for financial gain.

Ultimately, jurors sided with the musician.

Outside the courthouse, a small group of fans gathered to support the rapper. Among them was Christine Orozco, a local resident, who carried a hand-drawn sign that read: “If the nail don’t fit, u must acquit,” a play on words echoing the famous OJ Simpson trial.

“She had a round tip that day, not a sharp tip,” Orozco said of Cardi B’s fingernails. “She read the sign. She was squinting to see it. She laughed.”