Cardi B Throws Marker at Photographer Over ‘Disrespectful’ Question About Pregnancy Rumors, Then Cleared of Assault in LA Trial

In a dramatic moment outside an Alhambra courthouse in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B lost her cool and hurled a marker at a photographer who shouted a “disrespectful” question about her rumored pregnancy.

Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, was on a lunch break during her ongoing civil assault trial when she was confronted by the unidentified man. The photographer, pushing through a crowd of reporters and fans, loudly asked, “Cardi, insiders are claiming Offset is publicly bragging about getting you pregnant for the fourth time. Do you foresee any paternity issues with Stefon Diggs?”

The question struck a nerve. Cardi B, who filed for divorce from rapper Offset in July 2024 and is now dating New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, immediately reacted. According to video footage from ABC7, she grabbed a marker she had just used to sign an autograph for a fan and threw it at the man.

“Stop disrespecting me,” Cardi B fired back. “Don’t disrespect me.”

The photographer tried to brush off the incident, shouting, “I still love you even though you just threw some stuff at me!” But Cardi B was unmoved, retorting, “I don’t care. You’re disrespectful. Don’t do that.”

She then called out the double standard in the media’s treatment of women, asking, “Do you see women asking those types of questions to me? Why do you feel, as a man, you get to ask me those types of questions? Act like you have some manners. Your momma taught you, respect women.”

After the heated exchange, Cardi B got into a waiting vehicle, rolled down the window, and told fans she would not be answering any more questions. “Y’all are not going to see me after that, and you can thank him. I’m not playing around. I was very nice, I was very kind … Nobody’s going to get that no more.”

Later that day, the Bronx-born rapper received good news: a jury unanimously found her not liable for assault and battery in the $24 million lawsuit filed by her former security guard, Emani Ellis, stemming from a 2018 altercation outside a Beverly Hills obstetrician’s office. Ellis had accused Cardi B of scratching her, spitting on her, and shouting racial slurs. Cardi B denied all accusations of physical violence, testifying that the incident was only a verbal altercation.

The marker-throwing incident may have been a fiery distraction, but it didn’t overshadow Cardi B’s legal victory—proving that sometimes, standing up for yourself pays off in more ways than one.