Cardi B Pleads Guilty To Charges From 2018 Strip Club Brawl In New York City

By Okla Jones· Updated September 15, 2022

Today, Grammy Award-winning musician Cardi B plead guilty in court after being charged with assault from two fights at New York City strip clubs in 2018.

The 29-year-old artist, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, plead guilty to third degree assault and reckless endangerment, both misdemeanors. She agreed to a conditional deal that requires her to perform 15 days of community service.

“Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions,” the rapper who covered the May/June 2022 issue of ESSENCE with her family 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,” she added. “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.”

US rapper and songwriter Cardi B departs Queens County Criminal Court in New York on September 15, 2022. – Cardi B appeared in court for a hearing regarding charges of assaulting two strippers. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the New York Times, one of the alleged incidents took place at Angels Strip Club in Flushing, Queens. Two bartenders there claimed that Cardi B told her entourage to attack a woman, claiming she was having an affair with her husband, rapper Offset. The publication also reported that in one fight, chairs were thrown as the group argued with a bartender. She and another employee had minor injuries.

As part of the plea deal, Cardi admitted in court that she orchestrated the attack with her co-defendants Tawana Jackson-Morel and Jeffrey Bush. “No one is above the law,” Melinda Katz, the Queens district attorney, said in a statement. “In pleading guilty today, Ms. Belcalis Almanzar and two co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their actions.”

She continued: “This office is satisfied with the resolution, which includes appropriate community service.”