‘Dios Es El Mejor Juez’: Cardi B Wins Jury Trial In Album Cover Art Lawsuit
Cardi B, 30, just won a jury trial that accused her of copyright infringement, which centered on her 2016 “Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1” album artwork. Leaving the courthouse with a smile on her face, the star took the time to speak perfect Spanish and reflect on her win.
The lawsuit was hurled against the singer by Kevin Michael Brophy, who claimed he was “humiliated” after his tattoo was allegedly edited onto the back of the model who posed for the rapper’s mixtape cover photo.
The artwork consists of Cardi B taking a swig of beer with her legs open, as a man with back tattoos presumably performs oral sex on her.
Brophy accused the 30-year-old rapper of misappropriating his likeness, explaining that as a “family man with minor children,” he felt both “distress and humiliation” upon seeing the mixtape cover art. Seeking $5 million in damages from the “WAP” star, he described how he designed the tattoo himself alongside tattoo artist Tim Hendricks.
Still, the jury sided with Cardi B and she won the case, dismissing the accusations swirling since 2017 — which she says made her miss her youngest child’s “first step.”
Leaving the courthouse, she spoke to “El Gordo Y La Flaca” in Spanish, saying: “I feel very thankful to win this case… I was very nervous… I wasn’t very sure if I was going to win.” She thanked God for the verdict, continuing, “God is the best judge, and that is why I won this case.”
As explained by Brophy’s lawyer A. Barry Cappello, the man’s tattoo was edited onto the back of the male model who posed for the cover. A designer named Timm Gooden was paid $50 to make the artwork, searching images of back tattoos online until he found Brophy’s tattoo and used it.
Cardi B pushed back on the accusations, saying, “It’s not your client’s back… To me, it doesn’t look like his back at all.” The rapper also explained that the model is “Black, with hair,” while referring to Brophy as “Caucasian with a shaved head.”
Meanwhile, in his testimony, Brophy further explained: “This was my Michelangelo… This was a journey. It took a lot of pride. I want to protect this as much as I can.” He continued, “It just felt devalued. It felt like my Michelangelo was stolen off the wall.”
As you may expect, Cardi B did not take the accusations lightly, and refused to back down when she took the stand during Brophy’s lawyer A. Barry Cappello’s cross-examination.
Talking about Costa Mesa-based Brophy, who is married with two children and works for a surf and lifestyle company, the rapper asked: “He hasn’t gotten fired, he hasn’t gotten divorced. How has he suffered? Please, tell me how he has suffered?”
Even before the trial, the rapper’s lawyers said the man was suing the celebrity to “cash in the legal equivalent of a lotto ticket,” and called the accusations a “fantasy.”
