Why Cardi B Likely Won't Be Able To Host WWE SummerSlam
It's looking like rapper Cardi B will not be able to host the WWE SummerSlam pay-per-view after all.
It was revealed earlier this summer that WWE had plans for the rapper to host the biggest show of the summer. WWE announced her "Up" single as the SummerSlam theme song, but nothing has been confirmed as far as Cardi hosting the pay-per-view.
Cardi potentially hosting SummerSlam has been in the air ever since she announced that she was pregnant with her second child in late June.
In an update, it's now been revealed that the rapper is due to give birth around mid-September, just a few weeks after the WWE pay-per-view. A new court filing for a lawsuit she is involved in notes that she has been advised to avoid traveling.
Cardi's lawyer has asked a judge to delay her mid-September court battle against blogger Tasha K due to the pregnancy, according to AllHipHop. The trial for the rapper's $75,000 defamation & slander lawsuit against the blogger was due to begin on September 13, but Cardi's lawyer is asking to have the trial date pushed back to November 8 because she is due to give birth that same week, around September 15.
A new court filing by Cardi's attorney notes that the rapper will be unable to attend the trial on the currently scheduled dates because she is scheduled to give birth that week. Furthermore, it was noted that Cardi's OBGYN has advised her that she should not travel for a period of time before and after the delivery.
This would likely prevent Cardi from traveling from her home in Atlanta to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for WWE SummerSlam.
WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan was reportedly the man behind SummerSlam taking place in Las Vegas this year. It was reported that Khan was big on the idea of making the 2021 SummerSlam event a big spectacle, and big on the idea of Cardi B hosting the show.
Khan spoke with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes back in February after Cardi made several WWE-related tweets and got into it with Lacey Evans on Twitter after being name-dropped during a RAW Legends Night segment. At a time when WWE was finding success with rapper Bad Bunny, who had a top WrestleMania 37 storyline, Khan confirmed that they also had eyes for Cardi.
"Yes, and specifically the two that you just mentioned," Khan said of Bad Bunny and Cardi B, in response to a question on WWE partnering with popular musical acts. "Obviously, there is no touring right now, so the ability to get Bad Bunny for however long this run is going to be—and you're going to see a lot of him—I don't believe that would have existed in a world where Bad Bunny was on tour. That's going to be a continual effort, so we're always going to watch Bad Bunny, Cardi B to get involved."
Khan added in that Forbes interview, "It made it a touch easier to get a deal done this time because they weren't—over the course of however long the deal is—is not in 25 different cities during that time. The bulk of concert money is made in the summertime. It doesn't appear as if there are going to be big tours during the summer, even we're all hopeful, so we'll see what other folks we're talking to and who you'll see in the mix."
There's no word yet on if WWE will work with Cardi down the line, or if another SummerSlam host will be chosen. It was announced on Wednesday that actress Tiffany Haddish will be hosting the official WWE SummerSlam After-Party, which will be an exclusive invite-only event for celebrities, influencers, and WWE Superstars.
WWE SummerSlam will take place on Saturday, August 21 from Allegiant Stadium in Vegas. Stay tuned for updates.