Nicki Minaj is a platinum multifaceted recording artist with over 10 years of stardom under her belt. Minaj has been deemed the queen of rap on multiple occasions because of her authentic and unique music. However, Minaj’s legacy is now being complicated outside of her musical successes.

This September, Kenneth Petty plead guilty to failure of not registering as a sex offender from a prior conviction. Petty, Minaj’s longtime boyfriend and husband, was found guilty of first-degree attempted rape in New York in April 1995 and served nearly four years in a New York state prison.

Prior to his plea in September, Petty’s victim from the 1995 case filed a lawsuit in August 2021 against both Minaj and her husband for trying to force her to recant her statement in court. The woman, who has identified herself as Jennifer Hough, said in the suit that Petty and Minaj began contacting her following his recent arrest. Hough says they even went so far as to offer her $500,000 to say the rape did not happen and to drop the charges.

Minaj has gone out of her way to defend her husband, once stating on Instagram that Hough and Kenneth were “in a relationship at the time.” Minaj also denied the claims on her radio talk show, “Queen Radio,” stating he was wrongfully accused of rape. 

Hough made an appearance on the talk show “The Real” to tell her side of the story and relive those horrific moments. 

“I knew what he wanted,” Hough said. “He pushed me down on the bed, we wrestled for my clothes.” Hough said after Petty raped her he stood up in the nearby mirror and allegedly said, “I’m the man, I’m the man.” 

Hough also spoke on her feelings about Minaj’s statements saying Kenneth was falsely accused. 

“It was like reliving it again because it was a lie, it wasn’t true, we both were 16, we were never in a relationship. I just felt, woman to woman, that was wrong of her.” Hough said. Since the airing of the interview, neither Minaj nor her husband have commented.

Since discovering this news, I have been in shambles as a former “barb.” I have followed Nicki and her music since I was 11 years old. To hear her not only surrounding herself with sexual assaulters, but also marrying one and defending one is a hard pill to swallow.

Many fans have voiced disappointment, as well as concern, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Her choosing to not even bother addressing the issue is even more of a slap in the face. Nicki has been such a role model to so many people, and it is a shame to see her do something like this.

It is very sad to see a lot of her fans take up for her in the name of not “canceling” her. While I am saddened this is the path Nicki has chosen to take, I am happy to no longer be patronizing someone who co-signs and defends sexual assault.

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