Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
A federal jury in Atlanta has awarded US$1.25 million to Cardi B in a defamation lawsuit against a celebrity news blogger who she says posted videos falsely stating the Grammy-winning rapper used cocaine, had contracted herpes and engaged in prostitution.
The jury on Monday found Latasha Kebe, known online as Tasha K, and a company she owns liable for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress against the rapper, whose given name is Belcalis Almanzar. Kebe's lawyers said in an email Tuesday that they disagree with the verdict and will file an appeal.
The jury awarded Cardi B $1 million in general damages for pain and suffering and/or reputational injury and $250,000 in medical expenses.
Kebe, who lives in the Atlanta area, produces, hosts and publishes a YouTube channel called unWinewithTashaK.
Kebe began targeting Cardi B in early 2018, making "degrading and harassing statements" about her, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 19, 2018 Kebe published a video of an interview she did with a woman who said she'd known Cardi B before her music career. The video includes the "false, malicious and defamatory" statements that Cardi B was a prostitute, has herpes and had suffered outbreaks on her mouth, and used cocaine.
"None of the aforementioned statements about Plaintiff are true," the lawsuit says. "Plaintiff was never a prostitute or a user of cocaine. Plaintiff has never, and does not now, have herpes, nor has she had herpes outbreaks on her mouth."
Shortly after the video was published, Cardi B's lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to Kebe demanding its immediate removal. Instead, Kebe published another video on Sept. 21, 2018, claiming that everything said in the video two days earlier was accurate and also asserting that the rapper was cheating on her husband, the lawsuit says.
Kebe then proceeded to attack Cardi B and make false statements about her on social media for months, the lawsuit says.
The statements caused Cardi B to "suffer embarrassment, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional distress," the lawsuit says. They also "caused damage to (Cardi B's) reputation and character within her profession and industry, including but not limited to among her fans and with prospective business relations."
Kebe knew the statements she published about Cardi B were false, or was aware they were likely false, when she published them, the lawsuit says.
Cardi B originally filed the lawsuit against Kebe in March 2019. The woman Kebe had interviewed in the September 2018 video was initially a defendant as well, but the claim against her was terminated on Nov. 11, 2020, according to a filing by the judge in the case.
Kebe said in a court filing responding to the lawsuit that after she published the Sept. 19, 2018, video, Cardi B reached out to her via private message about the interview and was angry because personal details about her had been released. Kebe told Cardi B she wasn't interested in talking via private message and encouraged her to come on her YouTube channel to "tell her truth" in an interview, the filing says.
Cardi B declined and instead "went on a rampage" on Instagram, publishing numerous videos about information in the video and "began to publicly trash" Kebe, saying she "always makes up fake stories; harasses all of Cardi B's friends; constantly stalks Cardi B; uses Cardi B's name for 'click bait'; and many similar accusations," Kebe's court filing says.
Kebe received threats on Instagram and harassing calls on her cellphone, and her home address was made public, her court filing says. She feared for the safety of herself and her family and reached out to the FBI's Atlanta office. After an FBI agent advised her it would be best to find a new place to live, she moved her family to a different city in another county and ended up having to change her phone number, her filing says.
Kebe filed counterclaims against Cardi B, saying the rapper encouraged her associates and fans to threaten and harass her. Cardi B and her associates engaged in a "pattern of intimidation and harassment" against her when they threatened physical violence against her, the court filing says. In addition to the fear and anxiety Kebe suffered while also dealing with a high-risk pregnancy, she also incurred unexpected expenses associated with her abrupt move, her filing says.
Kebe said the rapper was guilty of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress and should be required to pay her damages and attorney fees. U.S. District Judge William Ray in July dismissed Kebe's claims, saying she had failed to provide evidence establishing that Cardi B was the actual cause of any alleged assault or emotional distress.
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
The final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.