Cardi B on pressure of fame, divorce from Offset and lawsuits: “I said what I said for real. Like, just don’t lie”

Rapper Cardi B said she will sue anyone who takes her to court in the future after winning a recent assault case in California.

“This will be the last time that somebody sues me and takes me to court and I won’t sue back,” Cardi B told “CBS Mornings.” “I’m gonna sue you until your grandkids is paying me cause I’m so tired of this.”

Earlier this month, a jury found Cardi B not liable after deliberating for less than an hour in a California civil trial. A security guard had accused the rapper of assault, and her testimony went viral when she candidly admitted to calling the security guard names.

“When the attorney asked me, like, ‘What was you calling her?’ You cannot sit here and lie and be like, ‘I wasn’t calling her no names.’ That’s not the truth,” she said. “I said what I said for real. Like, just don’t lie.”

Following her court victory, Cardi B made headlines when she threw a pen at a reporter who asked a question about her pregnancy, which she had not yet confirmed, and asked if she was concerned about “paternity issues” with NFL player Stefon Diggs.

“I threw it at the floor so he could shut … up,” she said, explaining that she thought the question was “disrespectful” and “distasteful.”

Co-parenting with Offset

The rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, filed for divorce from fellow rapper Offset in July 2024 after seven years of marriage. The couple has three children together, and the divorce has not yet been finalized, but Cardi B says she’s been ready to move on.

“I am so tired of people, like, associating me with somebody that is from the past because I filed for divorce a year ago. That should be very clear. I don’t deal with that, I don’t mess with that, I don’t have no contact with that,” she said.

In a new song “Man of Your Word,” from her upcoming album, Cardi B reflects on the relationship, rapping: “Seven years, I admit it wasn’t all bad. Skeletons in my closet too…” The lyrics continue, “As a wife I should’ve realized when you were hurt, but instead I put my music first…But I really do wish you the best. Continue being a winner. If I had one wish, I wish you would’ve been a man of your word.”

When asked about the lyrics, she said simply: “I just wish he was a better person. But it is what it is. Be a better person for your kids.”

Regarding whether they could successfully co-parent their three children, Cardi B said “not right now.

“I don’t really have hate in my heart anymore. I think he has, like, some type of hate in his heart right now. And I don’t know how long that’s going to take, because somebody could say it, but their actions don’t show it,” she said.

Cardi B said she is hopeful for unity with Offset.

“I don’t know how long that’s going to take for him, but that’s always been my wish. I get along with everybody that I dated. We all move on. There shouldn’t be any animosity. Your life, my life, separate. We should be able to raise kids. We should be able to ask each other questions. We should be able to say, “Hey, look what one of the kids just did. Look at the report card,” she said.

Handling fame and criticism

Despite her tough public persona, Cardi B acknowledged that criticism affects her deeply.

“A lotta things get to me, you know what I’m saying? I’m the type of person to think and be like, ‘What would my daughter think of me? Or, “What would my mom think of me?” Or, “What would my grandparents think of me?”

She explained that responding to critics is necessary for her mental health.

“You can’t always bottle it inside, because that turns you crazy. That’s why some celebrities, they do drugs, they start developing mental issues and stuff like that,” she said. “You have to say it. Let it out.”

The rapper said she sometimes wants to “go off the grid” and disappear to a Caribbean island for a year because of the constant scrutiny, but refuses to give up because of what it would teach her daughter.

“Imagine one day me telling my daughter that. Like, it’s like, ‘Oh, why’d I give up? Because I couldn’t take it.’ That’s me raising her to be weak on criticism,” she said.

The interview comes as Cardi B prepares to launch her new album and tour. She credited her strong support system of family, friends and colleagues for helping her navigate fame.

“Nobody in my team kisses my ass, or my friends or nothing,” she said. “I don’t want people to cuddle me ’cause I want to be able to see the truth.”