After years of legal wrangling, failed settlement talks, and delays, Cardi B will finally face a man who claims she stole his tattoo.
As Cardi and her team put it, Kevin Michael Brophy Jr. is attempting to “extort” $5 million from the superstar rapper.
The dispute broke out in 2017 when Kevin Michael Brophy filed his lawsuit, claiming Cardi stole his back tattoo and used it on the cover of her mixtape “Gangsta B#### Music Vol 1.”
According to Brophy, the lewd cover of the mixtape, which features Cardi swigging a 40 ounce of beer while being pleasured by a man in the backseat of an SUV, caused him humiliation and embarrassment.
Cardi claims Brophy is out for a quick payday and labeled him a disgruntled man who works in a surf shop. The Bronx rapper declared she had nothing to do with the mixtape cover artwork besides posing for the racy photograph.
Other than that, Cardi B claims the graphic designer and her management/label at the time were responsible for the end product. The stakes are high for Cardi. Although Brophy asks for $5 million, he wants the jury to award him much more.
According to Brophy’s complaint, “Gangsta B#### Music Vol. 1” launched Cardi B’s career, so he should be entitled to a portion of all of her subsequent earnings.
Brophy and his legal team wanted the case to start in December, but Cardi managed to push the trial back because she had just given birth and was preparing for a court battle with Tasha K.
Finally, after Cardi B gets through a hectic work schedule, a judge and a jury will sort out the whole mess this summer. Cardi has previously scheduled professional engagements, including a motion picture, live performances, and an anticipated European tour.
AllHipHop can exclusively confirm that the battle with Brophy will start on July 18th with a pre-trial conference. The trial is finally confirmed to start on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022, at 8:30 AM.
Judge Cormac J. Carney warned both sides he would not be rescheduling the trial this time after at least seven times.
“The Court understands that Ms. Almanzar wants to devote all of her attention to rehearsing for her European tour for the entire month of August,” Judge Carney told both sides. “But she will have to make time for a relatively short four-day trial at the beginning of that period. Barring emergency circumstances, the Court will not again continue the trial date, and counsel are strongly discouraged from requesting any further continuance.”
Cardi B’s legal woes will continue after her trial with Kevin Michael Brophy Jr. wraps up, even though she has worked hard to put numerous cases to rest.
In December 2020, Cardi settled a lawsuit against her former record label and manager, Klenord “Shaft” Raphael, for an estimated $10 million.
And, her legal team spanked Tasha K. in their high-profile defamation suit after the rapper was awarded a whopping $4 million in damages. However, Cardi B still has a few legal issues on her plate to deal with.
She is still facing a lawsuit, and possibly jail time, for a heated altercation with Tekashi 6ix9ine’s girlfriend, Jade, and her sister “Baddie G.”
And, she is still caught up in a lawsuit with a fan who got too close to her after the Met Gala in May of 2018.
The guy got pummeled by her husband Offset, but he is suing Cardi, offset, and Versace, which hosted the event.