Cardi B wants the promoter behind her canceled Jamaica show to make good on his threat to sue, vowing to countersue him for defamation.
As spotted on Complex, BZR WKND founder Ryan Burke told CVM Television on Monday (Nov. 9) that he plans to take legal action against the Bronx rapper over her canceled headlining set. Burke claims he paid Cardi $2.5 million in full and wants that money back, along with damages. CVM said it was given copies of five transfers totaling that amount, which Burke says went directly to Cardi.
The Grammy winner was set to headline the final night of BZR WKND, a festival originally scheduled to run Oct. 16–18. The Oct. 18 concert, billed as Cardi B & Friends, was slated for Kingston’s National Stadium and would have marked her first performance in Jamaica. Her team confirmed her withdrawal on Oct. 8, and organizers later moved the concert to Dec. 20. Burke says he asked for the money back when it looked like Cardi wouldn’t play the new date and got no response from her team.
Cardi answered on Instagram Live that night. “I wish on the brightest star for you to sue me,” she said, telling Burke she would countersue for defamation if he followed through. According to Cardi, she received about $900,000 of an agreed $1 million deposit. She said the production money was due Sept. 17, but a $750,000 transfer came through only after she had told organizers she was pulling out. Cardi said she returned that payment because she had too little time left to ship equipment from Florida and arrange travel and lodging for her crew.
“You were trying to make me pay the production of the whole entire show,” Cardi said, arguing that she had signed on to headline a festival. She also objected to organizers bringing up her grandfather’s death in their postponement announcement and said the production issues drove her decision to withdraw.
“I’m not giving back the deposit money,” Cardi said in a second livestream on Tuesday (Nov. 10). Her agent, Mike “Mike G” Guirguis, backed her account, saying the promoter missed several obligations under the agreement. BZR WKND stood by its claim that she was paid in full.
Cardi also apologized to the Jamaican government after previously saying it had offered to cover some of the outstanding costs. The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport said it made no financial commitment to the concert. Cardi said she had been misled about the government’s involvement.
Burke says his team is still working toward the Dec. 20 date and processing refunds for ticket holders. Cardi told her Jamaican fans she still wants to perform on the island if a different promoter books her.
You can view her discuss the situation below.
