Cardi B I Plead Not Guilty, Your Honor ... Faces Judge in Strip Club Case
1:08 PM PT -- Cardi has officially left the building ... with plenty of love from her fans.
Cardi B is entering her plea on all the new charges in the strip club beatdown case.
Fresh of her Album of the Year win at the BET Awards ... Cardi arrived at the courthouse in Queens decked out in a black pantsuit. Inside the judge told her she's being charged with attempted assault in the 2nd degree and various other charges.
The judge gave Cardi the option of having all the charges read aloud in court. Her attorney said that would not be necessary -- and then Cardi said, "Not guilty sir, honor"
As we reported ... Cardi was indicted last week on 12 charges, including 2 counts of felony attempted assault with intent to cause serious physical injury. Other charges include misdemeanor reckless endangerment, assault, criminal solicitation, conspiracy and harassment.
This came after the rapper was initially charged with just 2 misdemeanors for allegedly ordering an attack on 2 strip club bartenders who are sisters -- Jade and Baddie Gi -- back in August 2018.
However, after Cardi rejected a plea deal that would have given her a conditional discharge in return for pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor ... a grand jury was convened and eventually handed up the 12-count indictment.
There are 2 codefendants in the case and they were also arraigned today -- both plead not guilty.
TMZ broke the story ... Cardi was arrested in October for her alleged role in the strip club incident, in which the 2 women claim they were injured when Cardi's people began throwing bottles and chairs.
If convicted on the new felony charges, we're told Cardi faces up to 4 years in prison.
Originally Published -- 12:39 PM PT
See also
Blac Chyna Off The Hook ... For Allegedly Threatening Hairdresser With Knife
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 436 shares
Blac Chyna won't be prosecuted for allegedly brandishing a knife and threatening her hairdresser.
The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells TMZ the cases against Blac Chyna and her hairdresser were both rejected ... due to insufficient evidence.
The L.A. District Attorney had the first look at the case, but determined there wasn't enough there to charge Chyna or the hairdresser with a felony, so they gave the case to the City Attorney ... and now it's officially done.
Our law enforcement sources say the case was weak from the beginning.
TMZ broke the story ... BC and her hairdresser got into a heated exchange last month at Chyna's home in the San Fernando Valley. The hairdresser claimed Blac Chyna went after her with a blade and filed a police report, and BC appeared as a named suspect for assault with a deadly weapon.
Blac Chyna insisted she was actually the victim, not the aggressor ... and claims the hairdresser started hurling soda cans during the argument.
The fight was caught on surveillance video, but there's no clear-cut evidence BC was wielding a knife ... and no witnesses ever came forward backing the hairdresser's claims.
See also
UFC's Ben Askren Tom Cruise Would Beat Bieber's Ass
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 685 shares
"Justin Bieber seems like a wimp" -- UFC star Ben Askren.
Yep, the biggest stars in the UFC are well aware of the possible Tom Cruise vs. Justin Bieber superfight ... and top-ranked welterweight Ben Askren is already picking a winner.
"I'm gonna say Tom Cruise," Askren says ... "Like, Tom Cruise at least seems like he's probably been through some sh*t."
As we previously reported, Bieber's rep, Scooter Braun, recently told Dana White he'd be down to fight FOR REAL if Tom signs on ... and Dana says it would be the biggest Pay-Per-View fight of all time.
Ben agrees ... "That would make a whole bunch of money!"
Meantime, Askren has his fight to worry about ... he's throwing down with Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239 on July 6.
But, if 56-year-old Tom Cruise does agree to fight 25-year-old Bieber, Askren says he'd be down to train the 'Mission Impossible' star ... and he's already got a game plan for him.
"All I'd teach him is [the double leg takedown] and then beat his ass ... little typewriter action on his face!"
Sounds like a plan!
See also
DaBaby Sued Your Posse Damn Near Killed Me!!!
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 858 shares
DaBaby should be held responsible for allowing his crew to unleash a violent attack ... so claims a fellow rapper who was allegedly beaten into a coma by the group.
Donald Saladin -- whose stage name is Don Trag -- is suing DaBaby just over a month after DaBaby's crew was caught on video beating the crap outta him outside a Massachusetts club.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Don Trag claims DaBaby failed to adequately train his team of bodyguards and set them loose knowing they had violent tendencies. TMZ broke the story ... Trag was supposed to perform at Centro Nightclub in Lawrence, MA on the same night DaBaby was playing there.
As we told you ... Trag claims he asked to take a pic with DaBaby, got turned down and then he insisted ... DB's crew unleashed a can of whoop ass as DaBaby looked on.
In his lawsuit, Trag says he sustained serious injuries to his head, eyes, neck and spine. Trag's brother told us he suffered significant brain and neck swelling and slipped into a coma. According to docs ... Trag's racked up $30k in hospital bills and anticipates $75k in more bills.
Trag's suing DaBaby for damages. We've reached out to DB, so far no word back.
See also
UFC's Jon Jones Hey, TMZ ... Here's How Ya Throw An Elbow!
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 300 shares
Wanna throw a killer elbow strike like UFC legend Jon Jones?!
Well, good news, the reigning UFC light heavyweight champ came to our office and gave a live demonstration ... right on a TMZ staffer!
Of course, Jones is gearing up to fight Thiago Santos at UFC 239 on July 6 -- and he stopped by the office to talk with the guys from "TMZ Sports" about how he's planning to end Thiago's 4 fight win streak.
Jones hit on a ton of topics during the conversation -- here's a cheat sheet.
On Daniel Cormier ...
Jones doesn't think Cormier will ever agree to fight him for a 3rd time.
"I’ve been hearing things about him fighting [Stipe Miocic] then ending his career fighting me down at light heavyweight, and I don’t believe him," Jones says.
"I don’t think he’s ever going to fight me again."
"I think it’s a lot of pressure for him to get down to the light heavyweight division, and then to get down there, to climb such a mountain and not get to the actual top? It has to be so crushing to come up short against me for a 3rd time, I don’t think he’d put himself through that."
Ric Flair Drinkin' Beer Just 1 Month After Medical Scare
-
Breaking News
- 9K shares
Ric Flair told us he wasn't gonna let his medical scare slow him down ... and he's proving it -- because the WWE legend ordered up a beer this weekend during an outing with his family.
Sporting a shirt with his own face on it (legendary stuff), the 70-year-old strolled into Hamilton's On Magnolia in Alabama (right near Auburn) flanked by his wife, Wendy Barlow.
Inside the restaurant, Flair was all smiles ... toasting his wife with a pint of beer.
Yeah, sippin' on brew may not be exactly what the doctor recommends just one month after undergoing heart surgery ... but Flair has told us he wants to live life to the fullest while he's still here on earth.
As we previously reported, Flair had a procedure to change up his pacemaker after a medical emergency in May.
When we spoke with Ric on the "TMZ Sports" TV show earlier this month, he told us he plans on living another 25 years ... AT LEAST!
See also
Dana White Bieber vs. Tom Cruise 'Biggest UFC Purse Ever'
-
Breaking News
- 4.6K shares
The Justin Bieber vs. Tom Cruise hype train has left the station ... with UFC honcho Dana White saying the celebrity superfight would probably be the biggest Pay-Per-View event in combat sports history!!!
TMZ Sports broke the story ... White said he is seriously interested in putting together the Bieber vs. Cruise fight ... after hearing from two "serious people" with connections to the stars that they'd be down to scrap.
And, we're also told Bieber's rep, Scooter Braun, spoke with William Morris Endeavor co-owner Ari Emanuel and Dana White on a secret phone call and said Bieber is "100%" down with it.
So, when White was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood on Sunday night, he told TMZ Sports he thinks there's a real shot this fight goes down.
"Weirder things have happened, let's put it that way," White said.
"I think it would be the biggest purse ever and I think it would be the biggest Pay-Per-View ever too."
White says the situation is still developing and he hasn't heard anything official from Tom's camp yet -- but he's hopeful he'll have more info in the coming days.
Until then, White seems excited to make it happen ... though he's keeping it real when asked about the actual combat.
"I don't think the fight would be as good as the hype."
See also
Daniel Cormier On Brock Lesnar 'Disappointed' He Won't Fight Me
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 35 shares
UFC champ Daniel Cormier is keeping it all the way real when talking about Brock Lesnar -- telling TMZ Sports he's genuinely "disappointed" the guy pulled out of fight negotiations.
"I wanted to fight Brock," DC tells us ... "but you can only really worry about things that you can control. I can't control that he doesn't want to fight anymore. He's done."
Cormier says he appreciates the UFC and Lesnar for trying to make a deal -- but at the end of the day, Daniel thinks the WWE offered Lesnar too much money to stay out of the Octagon.
"I just think the WWE gave him such a great deal, they really always take care of this guy."
"Ultimately, you get paid that much money to go and wrestle as opposed to fighting me? There's no predetermined outcome there. I'm gonna try to kick your ass. So, I think he made the smart decision."
Cormier says he was friends with Lesnar before the fight talks began in July 2018 -- and says now that Brock's not a potential opponent anymore, they can go back to texting and talking on the phone.
"Maybe I can start going to watch him wrestle and do all that other stuff again."
Meanwhile, Cormier is gearing up to fight Stipe Miocic at UFC 241 in August -- and it could be the final fight in DC's legendary MMA career.
See also
Gabriel Iglesias Lemme Play Andy Ruiz In Movie ... I'm Perfect for the Role!!!
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 696 shares
If Hollywood decided to green-light a movie about heavyweight boxing champ Andy Ruiz -- there's another huge star who's already making his pitch for the role ... Gabriel Iglesias!!!
The superstar comic is a big-time boxing fan -- and says he was STOKED when Ruiz put a beating on Anthony Joshua in the upset of the decade.
In fact, Ruiz says he REALLY wants to see Joshua sign on for the rematch so Ruiz can prove to the world it wasn't a fluke, and he's the real deal.
"It wasn't a lucky punch," Fluffy says ... "He got dealt with that night!"
Ruiz's story is pretty amazing ... he was a massive underdog who took the fight on short notice and put on the performance of his life to upset the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world.
Iglesias says he'd LOVE to play Ruiz on the big screen ... but he knows he'd have to drop a few lbs before getting in front of the camera.
"Every actor says they gotta gain weight ... I gotta lose weight to play Ruiz!"
The clip's great. Gabriel's great. Andy's great. Watch the video already.
See also
MMA's Lyoto Machida On Retirement ... I've Got 3 or 4 Years Left!!!
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 19 shares
He's 41-years-old ... but MMA legend Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida says he ain't ready to stop fighting any time soon!!!
In fact, Machida says he's got another 3 to 4 years left ... at least!!!
Of course, Lyoto just beat up Chael Sonnen at Bellator 222 -- extending his win streak to 4.
Now, Machida is gunning for a fight with Bellator champ Ryan Bader -- who holds TWO belts -- the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles.
"I'll be ready for him," Machida told us in Beverly Hills ... "I feel so good and so athletic."
After the Sonnen fight, Chael announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts -- and Machida tells us it was an honor to share the cage with such a "legend" in the sport.
Machida is a legend himself -- dude's got a 26-8 pro record with wins over some of the best fighters of all time ... including B.J. Penn, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua.
See also
Cardi B Indicted by Grand Jury for Felonies ... In Strip Club Brawl
-
Exclusive Details
- 17.1K shares
Cardi B has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges -- including 2 felonies -- in connection with a brawl at a New York strip club ... TMZ has confirmed.
TMZ broke the story ... Cardi was arrested in October for allegedly ordering an attack on 2 strip club bartenders -- Jade and Baddie G. The 2 women claim they were injured during the brawl when Cardi's people began throwing bottles and chairs.
The incident, which went down in August, was allegedly triggered after Cardi accused Jade of sleeping with Offset.
The grand jury has indicted Cardi on 12, charges including 2 counts of felony attempted assault with intent to cause serious physical injury. Other charges include misdemeanor reckless endangerment, assault, criminal solicitation, conspiracy and harassment.
She was initially charged with 2 misdemeanors ... assault and reckless endangerment, but that's all superseded by the grand jury indictment.
Cardi rejected a plea deal, which would have given her a conditional discharge in return for pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor. The problem ... if she misstepped during the conditional period, she'd be in big trouble.
Prosecution sources told TMZ last month they decided to take the matter to the grand jury because of information they discovered during their investigation. They would not be specific.
Cardi didn't seem worried about the turn of events last night. She hit up the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards in Bev Hills with Offset. She won an award for Songwriter of the Year.
See also
Justin Bieber Confronted By Fake Ivan Drago ... Forget Tom, Fight Me!!!
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 2.8K shares
Fake Ivan Drago tried to pick a fight with Justin Bieber in front of Craig's last night -- showing up to the restaurant in FULL BOXING GEAR ... and we got the whole thing on video!!!
The wannabe Russian was SERIOUS about trying to fight Justin -- he's the same guy who showed up to Logan Paul's home a few weeks ago to challenge the YouTube star to a fight.
Remember, Logan actually AGREED and the two threw down right in Paul's back yard.
The fake-Drago is an aspiring social media star ... but it's clear he'll do ANYTHING for clout.
So with Justin trying to get an MMA fight with Tom Cruise. the imposter-Ivan planned to call out Bieber first at Craig's where he waited for JB at the front door, pounding his chest and talking trash.
Bieber blew him off ... so, he stuck around for a few hours waiting for a second crack at the pop star -- but that didn't pan out either.
Bieber clearly knows his worth (and his weight class) ... he could make MILLIONS if the Tom Cruise fight comes to fruition -- so why give out hands for free on the street?!
As for doppelganger-Drago ... he'll continue to seek out other famous people to fight.
We hear Mike Tyson's in town!!!
See also
Conor McGregor Helping Lobov Kick Malignaggi's Ass Gave Him Scouting Report
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 32 shares
Conor McGregor is helping his boy Artem Lobov beat the hell outta Paulie Malignaggi... by hooking his friend up with a scouting report on how to kick the boxers ass.
Lobov and Malignaggi are fighting Saturday night at Bare Knuckle FC 6 in Florida ... and the lead up to the fight has included spitting, slapping and death threats.
They HATE each other.
Malignaggi -- a former 2 weight class world champ -- is the betting favorite, and most pick him to win the fight ... but Artem has at least 1 advantage.
The Notorious.
Remember, Paulie was Conor's sparring partner back in '17 while he prepped for his Floyd Mayweather fight ... and there was big beef between the 2 guys when Conor released footage of the men sparring.
Malignaggi said the footage was edited to make him look bad, and Conor said he knocked PM around ... but 1 thing's for sure -- the bad blood is genuine.
Fast-forward to now ... Artem tells us he consulted with his good friend and strategized on just how to pick apart Paulie.
"We broke down the whole spar, so I know everything. I know his weaknesses, and I know his strengths. I was getting ready for the best version of Paulie, even though I knew a fat mess is gonna show up."
What's Artem's message for the man who promised to put him in a body bag?
"This whole thing started from what? It all started from Paulie getting his ass whooped, and then crying like a little bitch."
"And that's exactly how this is gonna end. Him getting his ass whooped 1 more time and crying like the little whiny bitch that he is."
See also
Justin Bieber Agrees to UFC Fight With Tom Cruise ... During Secret Phone Call
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 69.1K shares
Justin Bieber wants to fight Tom Cruise in the Octagon, and we know this because of a secret phone call laying the groundwork for what could be the biggest fight in UFC history.
As you know, Justin tweeted earlier this month that he would like to take Tom on MMA style. We were initially told it was a joke and that Justin -- who never met Tom -- revered him. That's all true, but turns out there was truth behind the tweet.
We've learned last Friday, Ari Emanuel, the co-CEO of the William Morris Endeavor agency that owns UFC -- called Justin's manager, Scooter Braun, and then conferenced in Dana White. Ari said this would be an epic fight that needed to happen, and Dana chimed in that he was "100%" down with it.
We're told Scooter then made it clear ... Justin would absolutely fight if Tom wanted to do it.
And, there's more. During the call, Ari said he strongly believed the 56-year-old actor would agree to enter the Octagon and take on the 25-year-old singer.
Dana White told TMZ Sports earlier this week the fight's a no brainer ... the easiest event he's ever promoted in his career.
Your move, Tom!
See also
Baseball Brawl Video Shows Pregnant Woman with Bat ... 'I Don't Give a F*ck'
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 9.1K shares
The Colorado youth baseball brawl just took a disturbing twist -- we've now obtained footage showing a very pregnant woman brandishing a bat as a weapon and telling other parents, "I don't give a f*ck!"
The new footage shows heated parents from both youth baseball teams on the field at Westgate Elementary School arguing with the 13-year-old umpire about rules involving the number of players on each team.
You can hear people from the stands screaming for the parents to back down ... saying, "He's a kid!"
As the situation grows more intense, the pregnant woman runs on the field and grabs a metal baseball bat and begins to wave it around screaming, "F*ck you b*tch. I don't give a f*ck!"
One of the male parents tries to pry the bat away from the woman -- and that's when other men on the field attack him ... throwing him down to the ground and firing off punches.
The pregnant woman is forced back into the dugout -- where the fighting continues right in front of her.
It doesn't appear she was harmed in the melee ... but wow, it's close.
Other parents continue to brawl ... including a group of women throwing haymakers at each other down the 1st baseline.
All the while, the 7-year-old players are watching the violence in shock.
As we previously reported, cops eventually arrived and handed out citations for disorderly conduct and fighting in public.
Cops are still looking for at least one of the combatants who knocked a man out with a sucker punch.
Cops have also seen the new footage involving the pregnant woman. We're awaiting comment.
See also
Youth Baseball Brawl Full Video Shows Kids Running Scared ... Parents with Bats
-
EXCLUSIVE
- 15.7K shares
TMZ Sports has obtained the full, unedited video of that terrifying brawl at a youth baseball game in Colorado ... and it's even worse than we thought.
The person who shot the June 15 footage at Westgate Elementary School in Lakewood tells us the violence began when a woman walked onto the field brandishing a baseball bat as a weapon ... and a male parent tried to take it away from her.
During the struggle over the bat (captured on video), some parents began attacking the man, beating him down to the ground.
The violence continued for several minutes while little kids -- terrified -- tried to run off the field for safety.
The parents continued to attack each other ... while scared parents in the stands begged the combatants to stand down.
At one point, the woman recording the brawl begins to pray to Jesus to send angels down from the heavens to stop the violence.
Eventually, the fighting stops -- but the arguing continues -- with parents from both teams screaming at each other to leave the field.
Other parents are shouting that the police have been called ... but it doesn't seem to scare anyone.
You can see other parents pacing around the field holding bats while they wait for cops to arrive.
Eventually, police did show up and issue citations to multiple people. They're still on the hunt for the man who threw a violent sucker punch to an unsuspecting parent, sending him down to the ground.
We're told from witnesses that the whole thing exploded from a dispute over the rules.
Long story short, one team showed up with 13 players -- the other with 8 ... and parents were unhappy with how the game was playing out.
Arguments broke out in the stands and, eventually, parents asked the 13-year-old umpire to put a stop to foul language being thrown around. It was NOT over a bad call by the ump.
But, things only got more heated from there ... and we're told when the woman walked onto the field with the bat, all hell broke loose.
Cops say between 15 and 20 adults were involved in the incident.
The Lakewood Police Dept. is especially upset at the dude in the white shirt and teal shorts who blindsided a man with a pretty violent shot to the head.
Cops say several people have already been cited in this fight for disorderly conduct and fighting in public -- but they're clearly not done yet.
Officials also say at least one of the injuries is being classified as "serious."
So far, it doesn't appear any children were injured in the fight.
Originally Published -- 6:59 AM PT