Cardi B’s Civil Trial Goes Viral After Lawyer Fixates on Wigs, Nails, and Pregnancy
The civil trial against Cardi B this week turned into viral content, but not because of the charges. Instead, it was the unprofessional line of questioning by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Ron Rosen, that had the internet fuming. Clips show Rosen pressing the rapper about her changing hairstyles in court. “Yesterday you had black hair, short hair. Today it’s blonde and long. Which one is your real hair? Or are they both real?” he asked, according to Forbes. Cardi laughed and replied, “They’re wigs.” Rosen responded, “It’s a good wig today, then.”
The exchange, shared widely by reporters on X, garnered millions of views. Legal journalist Meghann Cuniff noted that the plaintiff’s lawyers seemed “completely banking on jurors being repulsed by Cardi B.” Instead, the questioning came across as condescending and out of touch.
Cardi B pushes back during cross-examination
The lawsuit stems from a 2018 incident at a Beverly Hills medical office, where security guard Emani Ellis alleges Cardi scratched her face with long nails and spat on her. Ellis is seeking $24 million in damages. Cardi has denied the claims, testifying: “I didn’t touch her. It was like a verbal fight, but it didn’t get physical at all.”
Still, Rosen’s cross-examination dwelled on her wigs, nails, and even whether she considered herself “disabled” while pregnant. “At that moment, when you’re pregnant, I’m very disabled,” Cardi said, drawing laughter from the courtroom. Rosen also asked her to display her nails and estimate their length, despite her clarification that they were fake and rounded.
Witnesses contradicted the plaintiff’s account
Beyond the viral clips, testimony from medical staff appeared to support Cardi’s account. Receptionist Tierra Malcolm told jurors she saw Ellis corner Cardi and that when she intervened, Ellis’s actions left her with a cut on her own forehead. Dr. David Finke confirmed he saw no injuries on Ellis’s face that day.
Social media calls out misogyny against Cardi B in the courtroom
Viewers online were quick to slam the lawyer’s tactics. “The lack of professionalism by this lawyer and the continuous racist and misogynistic comments and questions are insane,” one Instagram user wrote. Another added: “The wig swap caused some real confusion for that lawyer.” On livestream chats, commenters questioned why Ellis’s attorney focused on wigs and nails instead of evidence. “So many irrelevant and belittling statements… I feel like Cardi is being so disrespected in this courtroom,” one viewer wrote.
Others framed the viral moments as a sign of Cardi’s resilience. “She remains unbothered,” one comment read. Another said simply: “Even during a trial, Cardi is such a STAR.”
A trial that feels like theater
While the lawsuit centers on serious allegations, Rosen’s antics have turned the trial into what Vulture described as “wigging out.” His repeated fixation on hair, nails, and even asking Cardi to reenact her words directly to Ellis prompted frequent objections from her lawyers and interventions from the judge. The result? A proceeding that has felt less like a trial and more like courtroom theater.
For Cardi, the jury’s decision still looms. But in the court of public opinion, the biggest takeaway so far is the spectacle of a lawyer whose performance has been widely derided as unprofessional. And a rapper who managed to stay poised, sarcastic, and unshaken in the face of it.
