Two years afterCardi Bwas accused ofassaulting a fan with a microphoneduring a live performance, the rapper is facing legal repercussions for the viral incident. The concertgoer, a woman from Cleveland, Ohio, filed a lawsuit July 21, alleging assault, battery and negligence against the Grammy-winning rapper. In the lawsuit, reviewed by USA TODAY the woman, who opted to remain anonymous, alleges the rapper participated in "an unreasonable escalation" that resulted in "reputational and emotional harm." "It is quite the feat to take on someone that is known and loved like Cardi B," the woman's attorney, Cierra N. Norris, said during aJuly 24 press conference."Thank God we are not in a court of public opinion, but we are in a court of law." In anInstagram post, also announcing the lawsuit, Norris wrote: "No one should be afraid to hold someone accountable just because they are famous," adding that the woman is going by the pseudonym Jane Doe because she is "suffering from mental health issues as a result of the incident" and wants to avoid "potential backlash." Drai's Management Group, LLC, the owner of the Las Vegas venue where Cardi's performance took place, is also being sued for its alleged failure "to intervene or de-escalate the incident," Billboard reported. USA TODAY has reached out to Norris and representatives for Cardi B and Drai's Management Group for comment. In July 2023, Cardi Bmade social media headlinesafter footage from her performance at Drai's Beachclub showed her throwing her microphone at an attendee. In the video, whichracked up over 100 million views to date, Cardi retaliated when a concertgoer standing at the edge of the stage tossed the contents of a large white cup, splashing her face and soaking her orange swimsuit cover-up as she performed her breakthrough hit"Bodak Yellow." Norris, however, offered a different version of events, saying during the press conference that Cardi had asked fans to slosh their drinks, and that simply because she had reached her limit does not excuse the "assault" and "battery" the fan endured. Cardi B fan reports batteryafter rapper threw microphone at her in Vegas In videos, the rapper is seen subsequently berating the individual as security retrieved her microphone and appeared to remove the fan. Cardi later repostedanother video of the incidentshared by a fan account. After the jarring encounter, the unidentified fan filed a police report for battery. No arrests or citations were issued, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Norris, noting that the lawsuit is being filed years after the incident, said a friend of the fan had contacted her while she was still in Las Vegas, and that she had been the woman's lawyer since then. They wanted to do the litigation right, rather than capitalize on a "15 minutes" of fame, Norris argued. Doe claims Cardi B encouraged "light splashing from drinks" during her performance at Drai's Beachclub, according to the lawsuit. Additional social media footageshared at the time of Cardi's performance showed the rapper seemingly welcoming getting splashed by fans. "Give me water," Cardi said in one clip, after which fans splashed her backside. It's unclear whether the footage was taken before or after the face-splashing incident. The woman, "acting in accordance with the environment created by Cardi B's express words and conduct, and in a manner consistent with other attendees, splashed a small portion of her drink in Cardi B's direction," the lawsuit stated. "In apparent anger and without warning, Cardi B suddenly and forcefully threw her microphone directly at (Doe)." Cardi B's microphone from viral videoplaced in auction for $100K The aggrieved concertgoer said the incident caused her "severe emotional distress, shock, humiliation and physical injury," in the filing. Additionally, Doe said thesale of Cardi B's microphone in an auctionfornearly $100K"further publicized the incident and exacerbated (her) emotional distress." "Fame is not a license to harm," Norris said. "Just because Cardi B is one of the most loved entertainers in the world does not mean that she is free from accountability." In a statement to Billboard addressing the lawsuit, Cardi B's attorney Drew Findling slammed the woman's complaint as a "transparent and pitiful attempted financial shakedown." "The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County District Attorney's Office closed this matter for insufficient evidence a long time ago," Findling told the news outlet. "But apparently the opportunity to try to make money off of a celebrity was too much for some willing law firm to pass up." Contributing: Kim Willis and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Cardi B lawsuit: Rapper sued for viral microphone-throwing incident