In a twist worthy of a hip-hop soap opera, Cardi B’s legal battle over her mixtape cover tattoo drama refuses to fade away.
The lawsuit began in 2017 and centered around the photoshopped image of Brophy’s tiger-and-snake tattoo on a model appearing to give Cardi head as she chugged a beer on the mixtape cover.
Although the “Up” rapper won the lawsuit against Kevin Michael Brophy, who claimed humiliation from unauthorized use of his distinctive back tattoo on her “Gangsta B**ch Music, Vol. 1” mixtape cover, she may not be out the woods yet.
Cardi B, born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, scored a victory verdict after a four-day trial in October 2022.
Brophy, however, believes he didn’t get a fair trial, and his attorney has filed a motion for a new one.
While The Honorable Cormac J. Carney initially refused to overturn the victory, the motion for a new trial remains on the table.
Judge Carney recently agreed to consider Brophy’s argument for an appeal of the original verdict, extending the ink-related saga even further.
Brophy’s attorney argues that Cardi B “repeatedly engaged in theatrics” and “acted with total disregard and disrespect for the jury’s time and formal nature of court proceedings” during the trial.
“The deliberate nature of [Cardi B’s] strategy to undermine [Brophy’s] ability to present his case was exposed by a switch in demeanor that puts Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to shame,” Brophy’s lawyer told the judge.
“On direct from her own counsel, [Cardi B] provided lucid, direct and fully responsive answers to questions—answers which were allowed to remain unchallenged by virtue of the Court’s erroneous and summary denial of cross-examination.”
Brophy was ordered to pay Cardi B’s legal fees after his courtroom defeat, but it’s clear this tattoo tale is far from over.
The motion for a new trial is set to be heard before Judge Carney on July 17, 2023.
As the drama unfolds, Cardi B and her legal team are expected to respond to Brophy’s motion ahead of the hearing.
Will the ink finally dry on this case, or will it smudge even further? Only time will tell.