Cardi B faces lawsuit for allegedly throwing microphone at fan during 2023 Las Vegas performance

Cardi B is facing a civil lawsuit stemming from an incident that occurred during a 2023 performance at a Las Vegas beach club.

Cardi B is back in the headlines. However, this time, it’s not for her fashion or her relationship status.

On Monday, July 21, a new lawsuit was filed in the Eighth Judicial Court in Clark County, Nevada, against the 32-year-old Grammy-winning rapper by a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was struck by a microphone Cardi allegedly threw at her during a performance in July 2023 at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. 

The incident in question, as theGrio previously reported, occurred during a scorching daytime set on July 29, 2023, where concertgoers were encouraged to cool the “Bodak Yellow” performer off by splashing water on her. In now viral video footage of the incident, Cardi can be seen becoming irate after water is thrown at her from the crowd before she launches her microphone at the crowd, and her security quickly moves towards the source.  

According to court documents, Jane Doe claims she lightly tossed some liquid from her drink only for the “Drip” rapper to retaliate by hurling her mic into the crowd. The lawsuit claims the mic hit Doe directly, causing “pain, emotional distress, humiliation, and reputational damage.” 

Per People magazine, Doe claims, in addition to verbal requests, Cardi “demonstrated her consent and participation by pouring water from a bottle over her body while onstage,” and that she “physically reacted to splashes by slapping her posterior while audience-thrown liquids made contact with her.”

According to the complaint, Doe acted in “accordance with the environment,” and “in a manner consistent with other attendees, splashed a small portion of her drink in Cardi B’s direction.”

The lawsuit also names Drai’s Management Group as a co-defendant, accusing the venue of negligence for not intervening earlier, especially since the rapper had reportedly thrown a mic at a DJ the night before.

Cardi’s team has dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous. Her attorney, Drew Findling, called it “a transparent and pitiful attempted financial shakedown,” emphasizing that no criminal charges were ever brought against the artist. In fact, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had previously declined to pursue the case, citing insufficient evidence.

Meanwhile, Doe insists the experience has caused lasting harm, especially after the thrown microphone was auctioned off for nearly $100,000, adding insult to injury. According to TMZ, attorney Cierra N. Norris (who is representing the Jane Doe) is holding a press conference on Thursday in Vegas.

This latest legal drama arrives during what’s already shaping up to be a headline-making summer for Cardi B. Fresh off eye-popping appearances at Paris Couture Week, where she donned archival Jean Paul Gaultier and showed up accessorized with a live crow, the Bronx rapper has also found herself at the center of tabloid buzz surrounding her relationship status with NFL star Stefon Diggs. 

All of this is unfolding as the “Up” rapper gears up to release her sophomore album, “Am I the Drama?”, expected in September.