Controversial rapper Cardi B has appeared before New York court to plead “not guilty” over charges of assaulting patrons and workers at a strip club in 2018.
Last year, 26-year-old rapper Cardi B – whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar – was the subject of an investigation into a fight that took place in a New York City strip club.
While Cardi B’s lawyer denied she was involved, prosecutors charged the musician with assault and reckless endangerment, having allegedly been at the centre of the incident which saw two women receive numerous injuries as a result.
Having failed to show up in court last December, and rejecting a plea deal, the musician was arraigned on 14 counts just last week, including two counts of felony assault with intent to cause serious physical injury.
Now, as the Associated Press reports, Cardi B has appeared before a New York court to plead “not guilty” to all of the charges against her.
While two others allegedly involved in the incident recently plead not guilty as well, this court appearance comes just days after Cardi B explained she was confident that she would avoid jail.
As Page Six reports, the musician was performing in Los Angeles on Saturday night before stating to fans, “Fuck you mean? I ain’t going to jail, I got a daughter!”
While it’s not clear how her daughter – who was born back in July – would keep her out of jail, this is not the first time that Cardi B has been in hot water, with the rapper having defended allegations of drugging and robbing men who tried to pay her for sex while she worked as a stripper.
The allegations, which were borne out of a resurfaced Instagram video of Cardi B from 2016, were addressed by the musician in a statement later released to Twitter.
“Whether or not they were poor choices at the time, I did what I had to do to survive,” she explained.
“The men I spoke about in my live were men that I dated, that I was involved with men that were conscious, willing, and aware. I have a past that I can’t change. We all do.”
Cardi B has another court date scheduled for early September, though she is not required to attend the hearing.
Check out ‘Bodak Yellow’ by Cardi B:
