Cardi B did not dodge the question when Jennifer Hudson recently asked the rapper if she fell asleep during closing arguments at her civil assault trial. “I’m not even going to lie, I was,” Cardi, 32, said on The Jennifer Hudson Show this week.

“I had a long night! I’m in the middle of an album rollout. I was so sleepy, I was trying to fight it but I just couldn’t,” she added.

Clips from the September proceedings had circulated on Court TV and social media, showing her with heavy eyes. Cardi laughed it off, but also pointed out that the timing of the trial could not have been worse.

Balancing court, career and family

The Bronx star was found not liable on September 2 in a civil case tied to allegations from a former security guard. Still, she admitted the whole process was draining.

“I’m in the middle of an album rollout, and I have to go to court,” she said. “And then, when I get to court, I realize that it’s going to be on national TV, being televised. It’s like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ I missed my kids’ first day of school. But at least it’s positive press,” she added.

Her trial overlapped with preparations for her upcoming album Am I the Drama?, set for release on September 19. The stress showed, but Cardi B quickly found a way to turn the courtroom spotlight into a promo strategy.

Turning court memes into album sales

Just a day after the trial, she dropped limited “Courtroom Edition” versions of the record. The cover art had Viral meme photos of her from inside the courthouse.

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Posting on social media, she told fans: “BY POPULAR DEMAND, the court room edition of AM I THE DRAMA? is available NOW.”

Since then, Cardi’s been hustling her album like only she can. She even filmed herself on TikTok selling CDs and vinyl on the street, People magazine reported.

Her latest cover interview with Billboard shows she is thinking long-term too. Cardi said a Grammy would be great, but her real goal is a reaction that cannot be faked: “Success for me will be people saying, ‘She put out a great album.’ If at 3 a.m. people are talking about the album, that’s going to be success for me because people can’t wait to downplay it,” the singer explained.

“Am I the Drama?” drops on September 19 and includes singles like Imaginary Playerz, Outside, Up, and WAP.

Also Read: Cardi B announces Little Miss Drama Tour 2026: Presale, dates, how to buy tickets and more details

FAQs

Did Cardi B admit to falling asleep in court?

Yes, she admitted on The Jennifer Hudson Show that she nodded off during her trial.

What was Cardi B on trial for?

She faced a civil assault and battery case but was found not liable on September 2.

When is Cardi B’s new album coming out?

“Am I the Drama?” releases on September 19, 2025.

What is the “Courtroom Edition” of her album?

It is a limited version with cover art made from viral courtroom photographs of her.