Nicki Minaj sued by former employee for assault after Detroit concert
Nicki Minaj is being sued by a former employee who alleges the rap star struck him backstage after a Detroit concert.
Minaj's former "day-to-day manager," Brandon Garrett, is suing the rapper for assault, battery and emotional distress and claims the incident occurred after an April concert on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, according to a lawsuit obtained by Paste BN. Rolling Stone and Billboard note the lawsuit was filed Friday in Los Angeles. Garrett is requesting a jury trial.
The Los Angeles resident claims Minaj, legal name Onika Maraj-Petty, sent him out for ice cream, and upon returning, she questioned him about sending another employee to pick up her prescription when the incident occurred.
In a statement to Paste BN Friday, Minaj's lawyer, Judd Burstein, said the rapper had not yet been served the lawsuit and that her team was "unaware of the specific allegations."
"However, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it is completely false and frivolous," Burstein said via email Friday. "We are confident that the matter brought by this ex assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty's favor."
Garrett said in his lawsuit that when he communicated to Minaj, 42, that he sent the other employee to do the errand because he was tied up assisting her with dressing during her performance, she allegedly became angry, yelling and cursing at Garrett.
"Are you (expletive) crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your (expletive) mind and if my husband was here, he would knock out your (expletive) teeth," she allegedly told Garrett. "You're a dead man walking. You just (messed) up your whole life and you will never be anyone, I'll make sure of it."
The man claims Minaj told him his "life was over" before she struck him "open-handedly" across his face, so hard his "hat flew off his head." Members of Minaj's team then surrounded Garrett, he claims, making him "incredibly scared" before the rapper struck him again on the wrist.
The man says he was later informed he would not have a ride back to retrieve his belongings in the tour's home base in Chicago. He eventually flew back to the city, where he met up with two Chicago police officers who escorted him to his hotel room to get his things. He claims he later filed a police report about the incident with the officers.
Garrett's lawyer, Tom Feher, said in an email to Paste BN Saturday that Minaj's "celebrity status does not entitle her to such behavior."
"Mr. Garrett was simply fulfilling his duties, and when Ms. Minaj believed his performance fell short, she resorted to physical violence and threatened his life," he said. "We provided Ms. Minaj and her legal team ample time to resolve this informally, however, they failed to respond and we were forced to file this lawsuit. We are committed to holding Ms. Minaj fully accountable for her actions and are prepared to litigate this matter and take it to trial."