Cardi B Wins Millions Of Dollars In A Lawsuit Against A 'Malicious' YouTuber

27/01/2022

In a nearly three-year legal battle, singer Cardi B finally won her case against Tasha K, a YouTuber.

The YouTuber whose real name is Latasha Kebe, according to the publication, defamed Cardi B in her videos by accusing that the rapper had herpes and another about incident in which she masturbated with a beer bottle, and and that her child would be born with intellectual disabilities

And here, Kebe was found liable on three separate counts.

Cardi B’s legal victory came after she testified that she felt “extremely suicidal" in response to the YouTuber’s claims, and that she also felt "defeated and depressed, and I didn’t want to sleep with my husband.”

The singer who was represented in the case by Lisa F. Moore and William A. Pequignot of Moore Pequignot LLC, and by Gary P. Adelman and Sarah M. Matz of Adelman Matz PC, also said that she had to go to therapy as a result of the claims, and that “only an evil person” could do what Kebe did to her.

Cardi B, Tasha K.
The Grammy Award winner Cardi B (left), and Tasha K (right)

The case started when the Tasha K said to her more than one million followers, that Cardi B was a prostitute, took drugs, and had contracted sexually-transmitted infections, among other things.

Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, sued Kebe back in March 2019, after dozens of Kebe's videos defamed her with numerous shocking claims about the rapper.

In one of the videos, Kebe said that Cardi B "f—ed herself with beer bottles on f—ing stripper stages."

In other videos, Kebe said that Cardi B contracted herpes (by calling her “Herpes B”), and that she had been a prostitute, cheated on her husband, and that she had also done hard drugs.

Realizing the fake news, Cardi B sued both Tasha K and a former friend Starmarie Ebony Jones for the videos.

Since the first trial that started on January 10 in Georgia federal court, both women were shown offensive.

Cardi B’s lawyers said their client was not a prostitute, had never had herpes and had never used cocaine. And because of the the defamation, Cardi B also suffered from fatigue, anxiety, weight loss, and migraines

Kebe's side countersued Cardi B with claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kebe claimed the rapper “began to publicly trash” her online, leading to threats from fans. The judge however, dismissed those claims.

At one point in the court, Kebe admitted that what she said on the internet was a lie, and that she published her claims in order to monetize her videos and help grow her business.

But soon, she backtracked her statements after her lawyers started examining her.

In the end, the YouTuber was also found liable for invasion of privacy through portrayal in a false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

After a two-week trial, the jury ordered Tasha K to pay $1.25 million in "general" damages for defaming Cardi B by posting false rumors, aimed to compensate Cardi B for the pain and suffering and/or reputational harm, plus medical costs.

A day after that, the jurors ordered Tasya K to pay $1 million more in punitive damages, and ordered her company Kebe Studios LLC to pay another $500,000, and also ordered her to reimburse Cardi B's $1.3 million legal bill.

The rapper broke her silence online after the first day of the trial ending, where she said she was happy but sad at the same time, without explaining the reason.

Read: Cardi B, Reinventing Her Social Media Presence To Create A Path To Fame

In total, Latasha Kebe, and her company face more than $4 million in penalties after the jurors issued a verdict that fully sided with accusations that she waged a "malicious campaign" to hurt Cardi B’s reputation.

The awards dealt with so-called punitive damages, which are usually reserved only for more egregious bad behavior. And in this case, Kebe spread the fake information by "intentionally or recklessly disregarded the truth."

Tasha K rose to popularity through her videos on her YouTube channel 'UnWine with Tasha K'.

With more than a million subscribers, the channel features videos discussing the entertainment industry, as well as celebrity news and gossip among other things.

Through her YouTube channel that she created in 2015 and her social media presence in other platforms, Kebe is said to have a net worth between $500,000 to $1.5 million.

As for Starmarie Ebony Jones, she was also found guilty of libel, slander, and invasion of privacy.

But Cardi B's case with Jones was processed in a separate case, as Jones lives in New York and Kebe lives in Georgia.

The legal win for Cardi B came days after she pledged to donate and cover funeral and burial costs for the Bronx apartment building fire victims. The singer who said came from the area, said in a release that she "knew I needed to do something to help" after 17 people were killed.

“I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal,” Cardi said. “I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.”

In a statement Cardi B said that the victory has brought her "great happiness."

"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."

At the same time, the star also called for more actions to address similar problems in the future. She wanted to address the broader problems that can be caused by misinformation, disinformation and malinformation on the internet that involve cyberbullying.

"The truth is that the intentional harm that was done to me, is done to countless others every day,” the rapper wrote. “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."

After news first hit of the legal battle ending, Tasha took to social media to share her thoughts, and thank her legal team for their efforts in the case.

“Wino’s it’s only up from here,” she wrote. “See y’all in a few days. Back to work.”

If the case is to continue, Kebe’s legal team can appeal the verdict to the federal district judge overseeing the case.

"We disagree with the verdict and we will be filing an appeal," Sadeer Sabbak, who represented Kebe in the case, said in a statement.