NEW YORK — Cardi B’s nail artist is speaking out after video clearly captured her husband starting a fire that destroyed her salon in New York City.
Jenny Bui’s husband was charged with arson, but the nail artist told Eyewitness News in an exclusive interview that she’s still coming to terms with it and is standing by him.
“Give my husband one more one more chance, he’s a good man,” salon owner Jenny Bui said.
The so-called queen of bling made a tearful plea as she tries to make sense of her husband setting fire to her Bronx nail salon just weeks away from the opening.
“He said he was stressed and I didn’t question him because there’s too much going on already,” Bui said.
Bui is a nail artist to the stars with over a million Instagram followers and celebrity clients, including Cardi B.
She had rushed to be with her brother who fell ill while her husband Billy was painting and building out the store.
His lawyer says the stress of working from 2 in the afternoon until 4 the next morning, compounded with a few drinks, resulted in a mental breakdown and that the tape doesn’t show that he thought he had patted out the flames before leaving.
“He wasn’t looking for financial gain when he lit that match, so there’s no fraud here, it’s just frustration, it’s just that human thing where you just meltdown,” attorney Darnell Crosland said.
The still unopened store was not insured, and Bui lost over $100,000 in supplies like the Swarovski crystals used to adorn Cardi B’s nails.
“I try my best to rebuild because I love my community,” Bui said.
Bui says she forgives her husband.
“A lot of people in the comments say divorce him, but I won’t,” Bui said.
“The remorse that he has, he understands that it’s Jenny’s business, it’s her baby and these people are personal to her,” Crosland said.
As the criminal case moves forward, Bui is still teaching nail art to aspiring technicians while working on a plan to rebuild.
