For Cardi B, plastic surgery rumors are not new. What has changed is her patience for strangers treating every visible change in her body as proof of another operation.
During an Instagram Live on July 27, 2026, the 33-year-old rapper, whose full name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, pushed back on claims that she had recently undergone more cosmetic work. She said her last procedure related to her illegal butt injections took place in January 2024.
“Why every time I look snatched up and I look good, y’all always wanna be like, ‘Oh, she got another surgery?’” she asked, using stronger language in the livestream.
Cardi also stressed that she has rarely been discreet about her medical history. “I’m very honest about surgery,” she said. “First of all, I got two lipos and one ass reduction.” No credible reporting has directly contradicted her latest account.
Why removing the injections took several procedures
Cardi received biopolymer injections at 21, paying $800 for the underground procedure in a Queens basement, according to a 2018 interview with GQ. She described it as “the craziest pain ever” and said she experienced dizziness and leakage for days afterward.
Years later, she began having the material removed. NBC New York reported that Cardi said doctors extracted about 95 percent of it in August 2022. At the time, she warned others considering the injections: “Don’t do it.” She still supported adults making informed choices about cosmetic procedures, but drew a clear line at illegal shots.
Her removal was not completed in one visit. In a September 2024 livestream, Cardi said she underwent another extraction in January of that year, shortly after filming the “Like What” video. She also received treatment for fibrosis, a thickening or scarring of tissue that can complicate attempts to correct earlier injections.
“You know it takes rounds to get your butt injections removed,” she explained. That is the less marketable reality of reversal procedures: there is not always a simple undo button.
The January 2024 operation carried an added risk
Cardi later said she unknowingly underwent the January 2024 procedure while pregnant. TMZ reported that two blood tests had come back negative before the operation. In March 2024, she learned she was already 17 to 18 weeks pregnant.
The timing added another layer to a medical process that was already physically demanding. It also helps explain why her current decision is not simply about liking one silhouette more than another. Further correction could mean another invasive operation and a long recovery.
Cardi is now a mother of four. She shares a 4-month-old son with Stefon Diggs and has three children with her estranged husband, Offset: Kulture, 8, Wave, 4, and Blossom, 22 months.
Earlier in 2026, she had considered reducing her butt further. She ultimately decided against it after weighing what the surgery would involve. Because of loose skin, she said liposuction alone could cause her butt to drop. A more extensive operation would require cutting away skin and roughly four months of recovery.
“I’m not cutting myself,” she said. “I’m not sitting down for four months. I’m outside, like I said. I like my body, how it looks right now. I’m comfortable in my skin.”
Why illegal silicone injections remain dangerous
Cardi’s experience also points to a broader public-health problem that extends beyond celebrity body commentary. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says injectable silicone is not approved for cosmetic enhancement or body contouring.
That material is different from silicone contained inside approved implants. Once liquid silicone is injected directly into tissue, it can migrate elsewhere in the body. Reported complications include:
- Chronic pain and inflammation
- Infection and scarring
- Tissue death and disfigurement
- Blocked blood vessels
- Stroke or death
Some complications may not appear until years after the original injections. The FDA also says the full number of injuries is unknown because underground providers often do not report adverse outcomes. Illegal procedures, it turns out, are not known for excellent paperwork.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons advises people with a history of silicone injections to tell a doctor if they develop swelling, lumps, changes in skin color, tissue loss or persistent inflammation.
For patients seeking removal, migrated material, fibrosis and loose skin can make treatment difficult. Multiple operations may be needed, and complete extraction is not always possible without damaging surrounding tissue.
Her answer is about more than denying surgery
Cardi’s latest statement is a denial of another recent procedure, but it also reflects a practical boundary. She has acknowledged the work she previously chose, discussed the consequences and spent years addressing complications. Now she says she is unwilling to accept another lengthy recovery for a change she no longer wants badly enough.
That distinction matters because public discussion often reduces cosmetic surgery to a simple before-and-after judgment. Cardi’s account shows the decisions can involve pain, pregnancy, scar tissue, repeated operations and months away from ordinary life.
For now, her position is direct: she likes her body, she is comfortable with it, and she has no plans to undergo the more invasive reduction that would be required. After years of procedures and public speculation, comfort appears to be the deciding factor.
