Yahoo Movies Cardi B says she was 'extremely suicidal' after online trolling
Cardi B has opened up about how an alleged "malicious campaign" of online trolling impacted her mental health, revealing that she was left feeling "extremely suicidal" by the ordeal.
On Thursday 13 January, the rapper took to the stand at a court hearing over claims that YouTuber Latasha Kebe (also known as Tasha K) had intentionally shared false information about Cardi online as part of a "malicious campaign" to hurt her reputation.
The 29-year-old, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, alleges that Kebe made dozens of YouTube videos about her in which she spread rumours including that Cardi had sold sex for money, cheated on her husband and that she had contracted herpes. As such, in 2019 Cardi filed a lawsuit against Kebe and the case recently took a more personal turn, with an LA hospital being forced to turn over the rapper's medical records as evidence.
Speaking to the court, the WAP rapper revealed how the rumours allegedly spread about her left her feeling "helpless" and experiencing anxiety, depression, weight loss and migraines. "I felt extremely suicidal," Billboard reports the rapper told the court, with TMZ also reporting she "felt defeated and depressed and I didn't want to sleep with my husband."
Particularly detrimental to her mental health, Cardi explained, was the allegation made against her that she has herpes, amongst other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). According to Billboard, in her testimony, the 29-year-old revealed that after sharing a photo of herself kissing daughter Kulture on the lips, she was inundated with comments accusing her of endangering the three-year-old and questioning whether this was appropriate. As for how this affected her, Cardi said she felt like: "I didn't deserve my kid."
Kebe has denied the accusations, and last year countersued the rapper, accusing her of encouraging fans to harass her on social media. But, a judge threw out Kebe's counterclaim, saying there was "no evidence" that Cardi had caused the alleged harassment. To win her defamation case, Cardi's legal team must not only prove that Kebe's statements damaged her reputation, but that the YouTuber did so with malicious intent.
This isn't the first time the I Like It rapper has opened up about her relationship with social media. "Sometimes I’ll see something online and it’ll piss me off," she told Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "And then my baby will start crying or something, and it’s like, 'You know what? I’ve got to deal with the milk. Forget this'. I’m just over [social media]. I really don’t need it, and sometimes it just brings chaos to my brain."
If you're struggling with your mental health and need some support, find more information at Mind. Alternatively, call the Samaritans helpline 24/7 for free, on 116 123.
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