Cardi B has won a five-year battle over the cover art for one of her mixtapes.
According to TMZ, a federal jury in California found in favour of the ‘WAP’ rapper on all counts on Friday, even though she admitted she was not super confident.
Cardi was originally sued back in 2017 over the cover art for her Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1 mixtape, which featured a heavily tattooed male model performing a sex act on her.
Kevin “Mike” Brophy brought the $5 million lawsuit against Cardi, claiming he never posed for the photo or approved its use.
Over the course of the trial, Brophy set out to show that Cardi knowingly used his image Photoshopped on the cover without his approval, and tried to prove that it has had a detrimental affect on his marriage, work life and his kids’ perception of him.
Brophy referred to Cardi swiping the photo as “digital molestation” while on the stand on Wednesday (October 19th).
After a four-day trial, the jury ruled in favour of Cardi, saying the cover art “did not cast Brophy in a false light or constitute a misappropriation of his likeness”.
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“I just won this lawsuit,” Cardi tweeted. “Im soo emotional right now… I wanna kiss Gods feet right now… IM BEYOND GRATEFUL!!!!”
I just won this lawsuit …Im soo emotional right now 🥲…I wanna kiss Gods feet right now …..IM BEYOND GRATEFUL!!!!
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 21, 2022
Law and Crime News reporter Meghann Cuniff tweeted the entire verdict as it played out, including the exchange between Brophy and Cardi B at the end of the trial.
“Mike Brophy spoke with Cardi in the courtroom and shook her hand,” she tweeted. “‘At the end of the day, I do respect you as an artist.’ He said they have mutual friends. ‘I just want you to know I do respect you guys.’ Cardi said, ‘Maybe you get to know me?'”
She then added: “Brophy told Cardi he felt he needed to stand up for himself. If he didn’t, he’d always think about it. ‘This is so far out of my wheelhouse. I just didn’t know which way to turn,’ Brophy told her.”
Cuniff ended the commentary with: “Cardi left courtroom because she said she really had to pee. She’s still beaming.”
Brophy told Cardi he felt he needed to stand up for himself. If he didn’t, he’d always think about it. “This is so far out of my wheelhouse. I just didn’t know which way to turn,” Brophy told her.
Cardi left courtroom because she said she really had to pee. She’s still beaming.— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) October 21, 2022
This isn’t the first time Cardi has lucked out with a lawsuit.
Last year a judge dismissed a lawsuit by a blogger dating back to 2019, and the year before a $10 million breach of contract lawsuit by her former manager was dismissed in court.
