Cardi B hurled a pen at a reporter outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Tuesday after being asked about pregnancy rumours, a tense moment that has added fuel to an already high profile civil trial.

A short video of the incident sourced from TMZ, went viral. In the clip the rapper appears to grab a pen from another reporter and throw it toward a journalist who had asked whether she would predict any paternity drama involving Stefon Diggs.

The question referenced recent online chatter and posts about Offset. The pen did not cause any visible injuries and no arrests were reported.

The outburst comes as 32-year-old Belcalis Almánzar, known professionally as Cardi B, continues to defend herself in a civil lawsuit stemming from an alleged 2018 nightclub incident.

The plaintiff claims the entertainer committed assault and battery during an altercation tied to a dispute over a performance.

Cardi B has denied the allegations and has taken the stand in her own defence.

The trial has produced a mix of serious testimony and moments that quickly circulated online.

Witnesses called by the plaintiff have included a receptionist and a doctor, whose accounts aimed to describe injuries and the sequence of events on the night in question.

Cardi B has repeatedly challenged those accounts while denying claims that she assaulted a security guard.

Media coverage has captured sharp exchanges in the courtroom and testimony that ranged from the clinical to the emotional.

Observers and social media users have watched every scene closely.

Clips from inside the court were shared widely and commentators turned snippets of testimony into memes and commentary about celebrity culture and courtroom theatre.

The pen toss outside court underscores how easily courthouse appearances can become public spectacle when a celebrity is involved.

Legal experts say the record being built in court will be decisive.

Civil cases turn on the preponderance of evidence rather than proof beyond a reasonable doubt, meaning the judge or jury must find it more likely than not that the plaintiff’s version of events is true.

That standard places heavy weight on witness credibility, medical records and timelines.

The plaintiff’s lawyers are pressing claims about injuries and career impact, while Cardi B’s attorneys seek to undermine witness testimony and motive.

Public reaction to the outside courthouse scenes has been split.

Some fans defended Cardi B, arguing that questions about a possible pregnancy were invasive and inappropriate as she left court.

Others criticised the outburst, saying public figures should expect media scrutiny and that physical reactions only amplify negative attention.

The incident raises broader questions about the relationship between celebrities and the press. It also highlights how easily private rumours can intersect with public legal battles.

For now the trial is nearing its end and the pen toss will likely become part of the record observers use to draw conclusions about temperament and credibility.

Whatever the final legal outcome, the footage of the confrontation will stand as a vivid example of how fame, privacy and the media can collide under the pressure of a public trial.