Charges against Cardi B have been dropped after a microphone-throwing incident in Las Vegas.
(CJ Rivera / Invision / Associated Press)
Battery charges have been dropped against Cardi B after a concertgoer reported they were struck by a microphone thrown by the rapper at a concert on Saturday in Las Vegas.
“After a thorough review of this case and with the consultation from the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, this case has been closed as having insufficient evidence. No charges will be filed in relation to this case,” the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told The Times.
The decision comes one day after the “I Like It” artist was named as a suspect in a report by Las Vegas police stemming from the incident that was captured on video over the weekend.
“On behalf of Cardi, we appreciate the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept’s diligent and prompt resolution of this matter,” Cardi B’s attorneys — Drew Findling, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld — said in a statement, per CNN.
The development in this case comes several days after Las Vegas police confirmed to The Times that a person who attended Cardi B’s Saturday show came forward to “report a battery.”
“According to the victim, she was attending an event on July 29, 2023, at a property located in the 3500 block of Las Vegas Boulevard,” Las Vegas police said in a statement Monday. “During a concert, she was struck by an item that was thrown from the stage.”
The authorities, who fielded the complaint Sunday, did not mention Cardi B by name in their statement or specify that the thrown object was a microphone.
The time and location of the victim’s filing corresponds with the address and timing of the “WAP” rapper’s concert.
A viral video of the event shows someone in the audience at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas flinging the contents of a drink cup directly at the “I Like It” rapper, who flinches upon getting splashed before chucking her mic at the concertgoer. Cardi B can be seen shouting at the person who targeted her as security guards close in on them.
The Grammy winner was performing her hit song “Bodak Yellow” when she got splashed. She is among a growing number of musicians — including Bebe Rexha, Kelsea Ballerini, Drake, Steve Lacy and Harry Styles — who have recently been hit by projectiles onstage.
In a strange turn of events, the microphone that Cardi B threw is now up for sale on EBay. The bid on the flying mic was $99,900 on Thursday evening, with more than four days left in the auction.
Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.
Carlos De Loera is a reporter and a member of the 2022-23 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class. He previously worked at The Times as an editorial assistant and intern with Arts and Entertainment and at the Houston Chronicle as a features intern. De Loera is a L.A. County native and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in history and minored in journalism, ethics and democracy.
