Plaintiff: Cardi B Body Shamed Me, Cursed Me Out, Spat On Me, Cut Me

Plaintiff Mahni Ellis’s Story: Her Account of the Incident with Cardi B

My name is Mahni Ellis, and I was working as a security guard on duty at a medical building located at 8920 Wilshire Boulevard in February 2018. I had been working as a licensed security guard for about four years by then. I had never had any problems with anyone on the job. I may not have been perfect, but I was a reliable and responsible employee.

That day, I was doing my regular rounds when I noticed someone that looked familiar. I said something like, “Wow, that looks like Cardi B.” I didn’t yell it out or announce it loudly, and I certainly wasn’t trying to get attention. I was doing my job.

A few moments later, Cardi B turned around, clearly angry, and confronted me. She demanded to know why I was telling people I had seen her. I tried to explain that I hadn’t said anything to anyone, but she wasn’t listening. She was extremely upset.

Then, without warning, she walked up to me and put her finger in my face, just inches away. She had long fingernails—about 2–3 inches long. She began yelling at me, saying things like:

“I’m going to get you fired! That’s why you do security—because you’re nobody!“

She was jumping up and down, waving her arms, yelling, and body shaming me. She used racial slurs and insulted me repeatedly. I was stunned. I never expected this kind of behavior—especially from someone I had admired. I was actually a fan of her music. I had tickets to one of her concerts but never went after this.

During the confrontation, she spit on me—or at least, spit landed on me. I wanted to clarify the situation, to calm things down, but she continued screaming. I didn’t want her to leave because she was causing a disturbance, and as the security guard, I needed to document and report the incident properly.

At some point, she swung at me. I don’t remember being physically hit, but the motion was aggressive. I later discovered a scar on my left cheek, which I believe resulted from that incident. I showed the scar to my grandmother afterward.

I didn’t immediately seek legal action. I wasn’t thinking about suing at the time. But over the following weeks and months, I began to experience emotional distress and psychological trauma. About two months after the incident, I began therapy with Dr. Nicole Mackenzie, who provided counseling to help me manage the emotional damage from the confrontation.

I also received treatment from Dr. John Schaar, a medical doctor, who advised me not to seek immediate treatment for the facial scar. He said I should wait at least a year to see how the scar healed before considering plastic surgery. Later, due to financial limitations—I couldn’t afford $15,000–$20,000 for cosmetic treatment—I sought pro bono or lien-based medical care from professionals who agreed to treat me pending the legal outcome.

Over time, I received therapy and psychological treatment from multiple providers, including Dr. Alex Avila. All of this was related to the mental health impact I suffered following the incident. In total, the medical costs related to this case are approximately $36,000, with some bills still arriving at my home.

Before this event, I had never experienced a psychological episode like this, except for family counseling many years earlier when I was a teenager. This situation changed the course of my life. Afterward, I left security work and pursued a different career. I now work in social services, helping low-income families access resources—a field where I feel I can make a real difference without fear or conflict.

What Cardi B did to me was not just physical—it left lasting emotional damage. I didn’t deserve to be screamed at, insulted, or humiliated for simply doing my job.