On August 13, Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty were sued for allegedly harassing and intimidating Jennifer Hough, the woman who accused Petty of sexual assault in 1994. After more than a decade, Nicki Minaj could possibly be at a crossroads unlike any other in her career: her husband or her legacy.
Petty was convicted of attempted rape in the first degree in April 1995 after Petty allegedly began sexually assaulting Hough at knifepoint before she struck him with a bottle and escaped. Both were 16 years old at the time and Petty served nearly four years in prison until his release in January 1999. The new suit alleges that in 2020, Minaj personally called Hough offering to fly her out to Los Angeles, to which she declined by allegedly telling the rapper, "I need you to know woman to woman, that this happened.” The suit alleges Hough and or her family members were later offered bribes in exchange for her recanting her story. Payments between $20,000 - $500,00 were allegedly offered in addition to the offer of Minaj sending birthday videos to the victim's daughter. After Hough repeatedly refused, she recalls being contacted by one of Petty's lawyers about a recantation letter in fall 2020.
