After her defamation lawsuit, a judge recently ordered YouTuber Tasha K to pay rapper Cardi B $4 million in damages. The rap star sued Kebe, whose real name is Latasha Kebe, after the polarizing commentator made several defamatory claims about her on her platform.
During the trial, Cardi B testified that Tasha’s allegations about her sexual health caused her severe emotional distress and even led to marriage issues with her husband Offset. She also submitted medical records that proved she did not have herpes.
The jury granted Cardi a total of $3.05 million, which includes $1 million for general damages, $250,000 for medical expenses, $1.5 million as punitive damages, and an additional $1.3 million to cover her legal fees. After the trial, Judge William Ray ruled that Tasha would have to either pay Cardi immediately or secure funding while she appealed the judgment.
Tasha’s legal team asserted in her initial appellate brief that Judge Ray had omitted crucial information from the jurors, leading to an outcome they deemed skewed in a “highly imbalanced” trial. She has vowed to pursue the case to the Supreme Court, remaining resolute even if it requires several years of legal battle.
However, a federal appeals court rejected the blogger’s appeal on Tuesday, stating that she hadn’t presented her argument to the trial judge in a manner that would warrant a reconsideration of the jury’s verdict.
Tasha K, boasting a substantial 1 million subscribers on her blog and YouTube channel, originally filed a lawsuit against Cardi in 2019, alleging that Cardi had herpes and substance abuse issues. The court found her liable for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
