A video featuring Cardi B during the closing arguments of her $24 million (£18m) civil assault trial has gained significant attention online, leaving people with mixed opinions.

For those who are not up to date, on Tuesday (2 September), the 32-year-old American rapper was exonerated of assault by a Los Angeles jury after being sued by a security guard.

Emani Ellis alleged that the musician scratched her cheek with a three-inch (7.5cm) fingernail and spat at her outside an obstetrician's office in 2018.

At that time, Cardi, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, was pregnant with her first of three children with her former partner, rapper Offset. However, this information was not publicly known then.

The civil trial was held in Alhambra, California, US, and the jury took only about an hour to determine that the star was not liable.

Taking the stand, Cardi explained to the court that Ellis had followed her and recorded her on her phone, and also disclosed her secret pregnancy appointment to someone over the phone.

The rapper recounted how they got into a heated argument but insisted that she neither touched nor spat at Ellis.

As is common in high-profile court cases, numerous clips and photos have circulated as Cardi changed her wigs and outfits for each day of the trial.

However, a specific moment has sparked debate: a clip appearing to show Cardi dozing off during the trial's closing arguments.

In the video, shared on X, she seems to struggle to keep her eyes open, leading some to label her behavior as 'disrespectful'.

One social media user commented: "If you're nodding off in court with $20M at stake, maybe you don't take your freedom seriously enough."

Another agreed: "No matter how dull the trial is, you're in a courtroom; show some respect."

Someone else harshly added: "She knew where she was and should have prepared herself beforehand, right? There's really no excuse for her behavior in the video.

"Drink some coffee or have a Red Bull if you know you'll be in court for a few hours. No excuses."

Meanwhile, other social media users defended the star, with one saying: "That says a lot about how draining the whole process must be."

Another wrote: "Probably because the case is as weak as the arguments."

And a third added: "We all can fall asleep during these kinds of lengthy talks; I personally can relate, as there have been times I've tried hard not to doze off in church or at events where someone talks extensively. BUT she still looks hilarious."

A final user noted: "She's human. Keeping her in one place like that. What did they expect?"