Cardi B’s attorneys want Tasha K to pay up immediately.
According to legal documents reviewed by Billboard, a Georgia judge has ordered Tasha K—legal name Latasha Kebe—to cough up the $4 million awarded to Cardi in their highly publicized defamation case. The Bronx rapper sued the YouTuber gossip blogger in 2019, claiming Tasha K had launched a “malicious campaign” to harm her reputation. Cardi pointed to a series of videos in which the defendant made “false and defamatory” statements involving drug use, sexual acts, and STDs.
In January, a jury sided with Cardi and found Tasha K liable for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The 30-year-old rapper was ultimately awarded more than $2.5 million damages and an additional $1.3 million in legal fees. However, Tasha K is now trying to pause the judgement while she appeals the verdict. She argued that the jury trial was “very lopsided” and accused the court of withholding details from the jury.
Judge William M. Ray has since ordered Tasha K to pay Cardi the $4 million, but said he would consider a pause if she was able to a secure a “supersedeas bond” that would cover the full amount. This type of bond, aka “defendant’s appeal bond,” is typically issued by private lenders; it allows petitioners to delay paying a full judgement during the appeal process. If Tasha K’s efforts are unsuccessful and her appeal is denied, the secured bond will be overturned to Cardi.
“This is more than a hypothetical concern in this case,” Cardi’s attorney legal team wrote Friday. “During the litigation, Kebe bragged publicly that she had taken steps to insulate herself from a judgment. And there have been recent online reports that Kebe has moved from Georgia to avoid enforcement of the judgment.”
