There are conflicting reports on whether the target of Cardi’s ire was Nicki Minaj herself or entourage member Rah Ali, but the incident was reportedly instigated by comments made about Cardi’s infant daughter Kulture and Cardi’s mothering skills.

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Yeah ... last time I checked, them is fighting words.

According to TMZ:

People connected to Cardi tell us, when Cardi approached the table she was not looking for a fight ... they say she wanted “to address the lies Nicki was spreading.” They believe security had a plan if Cardi came anywhere near, and one of them elbowed her in her face (check out the lump). They say at that point it was on.

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Cardi, true to her code in an all-red gown by Dolce & Gabbana, wasn’t wearing Louboutins on Friday night, but was clearly ready to turn her red leather platform heels into “bloody shoes” (literally), reportedly throwing one at the offending party as Nicki was buffeted by her security detail. After the Plaza’s security intervened, Cardi and her entourage were whisked out of the event; Cardi with an already pronounced knot above her left eyebrow and without her shoes.

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Nicki Minaj departed soon after in typically over-the-top fashion, preening for the cameras and gleefully showing onlookers that she was leaving the event with both her stilettos firmly attached to her feet.

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Real talk? We wish Cardi hadn’t given Nicki the satisfaction—or the fashion set another reason not to include the community on future invite lists (as if). But the end of the altercation was only the beginning for the “Bartier Cardi” singer, who immediately took to the ‘gram to explain exactly how the tension had mounted, and why she’d exploded in such a public manner.

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And while we joke about not being invited to future fetes, #neverforget that we’ve been at this particular rodeo before—and all parties were in attendance the following year.

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No comments yet from Nicki or her camp, but we’re sure her fans will hear all about it on Queen Radio. In the meantime, some are referring to her unscathed escape from Cardi’s wrath as “to FREEDOM.”

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Harriet Tubman would never.

All we know is that the Harper’s Bazaar ICONS event will never be the same—and that as far as Twitter’s concerned, Nicki’s still #2.

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Oh, yeah—there was a whole gang of other famous and super-fashionable folks in fancy clothes there, too. In fact, this post was originally supposed to be about them. But I guess it’s not a celebrity event unless someone gets upstaged.

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