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Monday, March 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Autograph Seeker Sues Cardi B for Assault

A self-described autograph seeker sued pregnant rapper Cardi B and her fiancé, Offset, who he says beat him up outside the five-star Mark Hotel after the Met Gala. 

NEW YORK (CN) - A self-described autograph seeker sued pregnant rapper Cardi B and her fiance, Offset, who he says ordered "unknown assailants" to attack him outside the five-star Mark Hotel after the Met Gala.

The 22-page complaint, filed Wednesday in Bronx County Supreme Court by Giovanni Arnold, describes a “savage assault” by Cardi B's entourage, while hotel security staff stood idly by, after he asked for an autograph.

According to the complaint, the “Bodak Yellow” star said, “Fuck outta here nigga, I will slap the shit outta you,” to Arnold because she “was not interested in greeting fans that evening.”

TMZ posted a video that purports to show the incident. The NYPD also reviewed the video, according to the complaint.

“Just asked for an autograph, damn,” a male voice says in the video as a woman who appears to be Cardi B, also known as Belcalis Almanzar, climbs into the backseat of a black SUV.

“Don’t shoot me over an autograph, now,” he continues. “Don’t beat me up over an autograph.”

“Shut up, bro, before a nigga beat you out here,” said Offset, also known as Kiari Kendrell Cephus, as quoted in the complaint.

“Aw, man, for an autograph?” the first voice responds, as heard in the video.

“I’ll take all your money, bro,” the same voice says later.

Then he adds, “Please, please beat me up!” and continues to shout after the entourage until several men step out of the SUV and start to punch him. Soon after, the video shows the SUV speeding down the street.

Arnold, who says he suffered a “fractured face” from the incident, is a career fan of all kinds of stars, according to his website, and runs a reality video web series about celebrities.  The site lists a Cardi B poster for $100 that it says the rapper signed.

“Mark Hotel security watched idly as the melee unfolded, as the beatdown occurred, and then as Plaintiff's attackers fled from the scene,” the complaint says.

Accusing both artists of inciting violence at their appearances, it says “the road to the two entertainers' overnight success” is “paved with carnage.”

“The assault comes on the heels of several other violent incidents precipitated by Cardi B and Offset, all of which should have indicated to QCM [Quality Control Management] that their security team's propensity for violence made them more of a threat to the public than vice versa,” the complaint continues.

QCM is an artist management company that manages both Almanzar and Cephus.

“If you check my tag pics i take a lot of pics with fans," Almanzar posted to Twitter after the incident, according to the New York Daily News. "Some people are not fans & sometimes i don't want no pics and i simply don't want people too close cause of (an emoji of a pregnant woman) i don't know what are people's intentions sooo i Be careful. Why can't people respect that?"

The New York Daily News also reported that Almanzar later took the tweet down.

Neither Arnold’s attorney, Daniel Szalkiewicz, nor representatives for Cardi B or Quality Control Management immediately responded to requests for comment Wednesday.

“At this time the Mark Hotel will not be disclosing any information,” a hotel employee told Courthouse News before hanging up.

The lawsuit names Cardi B, Offset, QCM and Mark Hotel as defendants, as well as the unknown assailants.

Categories / Entertainment, Media, Personal Injury

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