Cardi B walked out of a Los Angeles courthouse on Tuesday a free woman in every sense of the word. A jury in Alhambra cleared the Grammy-winning rapper of all charges in a civil suit brought by a former security guard who claimed she had been attacked outside an obstetrician’s office in 2018.

The plaintiff, Emani Ellis, alleged that Cardi B slashed her face with a three-inch fingernail and spit on her during a heated encounter. Ellis sought $24 million in damages, describing the incident as traumatic.

Cardi B. testified that she was four months pregnant at the time, a fact not yet public, and that she was deeply protective of her privacy. According to her account, Ellis was on the phone discussing her confidential appointment and then attempted to record her on her own cell phone. What followed was a profanity-laden shouting match, but, Cardi insisted, no physical contact.

Her defense was backed by testimony from the doctor she had come to see and his receptionist, Tierra Malcolm. Malcolm told jurors that Ellis was the aggressor, swinging her arms in a way that actually struck Malcolm herself. Cardi’s lawyer argued that in that moment the rapper feared for her unborn child as much as for herself.

Ellis’s lawyers argued she was entitled to compensation, but the jury was unconvinced. Cardi’s appearance on the stand—switching wigs and bold outfits each day—only fueled the media spectacle, with her long nails themselves becoming a point of contention. On the final day, she wore a black-and-white polka dot suit accented by a red bow.

Outside court, Cardi spoke bluntly. “I work all day and I work hard for my money, for my kids, for the people that I take care of. So don’t you ever think that you’re going to sue me, and I’m just going to settle,” she said. She also asked her fans to leave Ellis and her family alone now that the case was resolved.

Supporters showed up too. One fan waved a handmade sign that read: “If the nail don’t fit, u must acquit,” a cheeky callback to O.J. Simpson’s infamous trial. Cardi spotted it, squinted, and laughed.

For now, the verdict closes one chapter of Cardi B’s headline-heavy career. In the eyes of the jury, at least, the sharpest thing about her that day wasn’t her nails—it was her defense.