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Cardi B appeared in a New York City courtroom to plead guilty to assault and reckless endangerment at a strip club in 2018 on Thursday.
The Grammy Award-winning rapper appeared before Justice Michelle Johnson at the Queens Supreme Court on Thursday morning (Sept. 14) and pleaded guilty to assault in the third degree and reckless endangerment in the third degree. It was part of a deal Cardi B struck with the Queens District Attorney’s office after a year of back-and-forth negotiations.
“No one is above the law,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz to the press. “In pleading guilty today, Ms. Belcalis Almanzar and two co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their actions. This office is satisfied with the resolution, which includes appropriate community service.”
Cardi was sentenced to 15 days of community service, after which she will receive a conditional discharge. She also has to stay away from the two victims, who go by Baddie G & Jade for three years per the order of protection. The were 10 other charges that were dismissed.
The incident, which took place at the Angels Gentlemen’s Club and Restaurant in Flushing, Queens on August 25, 2018, stemmed from Cardi being enraged at the two victims believing that one of them slept with her husband, the rapper Offset. The victims, who were bartenders, claim that she threw a hookah pipe and two champagne bottles at them and then directed her entourage to throw more bottles and chairs.
The rapper had initially turned down a plea deal, which led to a grand jury ruling on the case, returning an indictment that could’ve resulted in her going to jail for four years. A trial has been set for September 19.
“Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions,” Cardi B said in a statement after the appearance. “As a mother, it’s a practice that I’m trying to instill in my children, but the example starts with me. I’ve made some bad decisions in my past that I am not afraid to face and own up to. These moments don’t define me and they are not reflective of who I am now.”
