Cardi B has pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from her involvement in a pair of physical altercations at a New York strip club four years ago.
Cardi – real name Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar – was first charged with misdemeanour assault and reckless endangerment in 2018, after two female bartenders at the Angels club in Queens alleged the rapper has orchestrated and participated in assaults that took place at the club. Cardi, it was claimed, had ordered her associates to attack the women with bottles and chairs.
On Thursday (September 15), Cardi pleaded guilty to both charges as part of a deal, avoiding a criminal trial and potential jail time. Instead, the rapper has been sentenced to 15 days of community service, and has agreed to abide by three-year protection orders for the two victims.
“Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions,” Cardi said in a statement. “As a mother, it’s a practice that I am 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. I’m looking forward to moving past this situation with my family and friends and getting back to the things I love the most – the music and my fans.”
According to the New York Times, Cardi B confirmed details of the two incidents as part of her plea deal. Prosecutors said that on two separate evenings in August of 2018, the rapper and her entourage turned up to the club after 3am. On the first occasion, the group attacked one of the victims, allegedly punching her, slamming her head into the bar and pulling her hair.
Two weeks later, prosecutors said, the group returned and threw alcohol and bottles at the second victim in the case, another bartender who is also the sister of the woman who was attacked during the first incident.
In 2019, Cardi was indicted on a dozen charges relating to the incident, including two counts of felony assault. The rapper plead not guilty to all charges. Aside from the two misdemeanour charges Cardi has pleaded guilty to – third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment, all charges have been dismissed.
“No one is above the law,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “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.”
The post Cardi B pleads guilty to two misdemeanour charges in 2018 assault case appeared first on NME.
