Cardi B To Win Back $350K In Lawsuit Over Back Tattoo

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.3K Views
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Hot 97 Summer Jam 2023
ELMONT, NEW YORK - JUNE 04: Cardi B performs during Hot 97 Summer Jam at UBS Arena on June 04, 2023 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)
Kevin Brophy's lawyers agreed to pay for the superstar's legal fees in the failed lawsuit... months after a jury rejected his case.

As much as Cardi B can find herself in a fair bit of legal trouble, it seems like she does a good job of handling it. Moreover, one of her more notable legal victories was against Kevin Brophy. He tried to sue the Bronx rapper for using his back tattoo on her debut 2016 mixtape Gangsta B***h Music, Vol. 1's album cover without her permission. While the jury ruled in Cardi's favor back in October of 2022, it seemed like Brophy still tried to appeal the case- until very recently. On Monday (June 12), his lawyers told a federal judge that they would repay the $350,000 she spent on legal efforts defending herself.

Not only that, but they also made it clear that their client would willingly drop any and all efforts to bring the case back to court. In addition, the (former) prosecution waived opportunities for further appeals. Of course, a question in people's minds might be as to why Brophy's team would want to do this- especially so many months after a verdict. Well, one possibility is that they caught wind of Cardi B's team preparing to formally demand repayment for her attorney's fees. Such a process could have netted them even more cash in an uglier fashion, so perhaps it was best to be preemptive.

Cardi B At The Met Gala

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Cardi B attends the 2023 Costume Institute Benefit celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

"The parties now have reached an agreement avoiding the necessity of defendants’ motion for attorney’s fees and application to tax costs," both sides stated in Monday's motion. As such, Cardi B's team also waives the right to seek further awards for legal fees. Furthermore, this had already been a very lengthy legal process (Brophy filed a lawsuit in 2017), so both sides are likely at least partly happy that it's over. After all, when the "Put It On Da Floor Again" artist is suing or gets sued, she makes it known online, which can't be good for the other side.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old recently dealt with another successful lawsuit, this time against blogger Tasha K for defamation. Reports indicate that, when the YouTuber filed for bankruptcy, the rapper paused debt collection concerning the case. Time will tell if anything else plagues her in the courtroom, though we're sure she has a solid team to work with. For more on Cardi B and the latest updates on her actions, come back to HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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