Last night the internet was sent into a frenzy after Nicki Minaj and Jesy Nelson went on Instagram Live. What started out as a live stream to discuss their recent collaboration ‘Boyz’, turned into a rant and jabs towards Jesy’s ex-band members from Little Mix. Jesy Nelson has been accused by many of blackfishingin her recent music video for ‘Boyz’ and Nicki came to her defence. However, many people on the internet have labelled this as a smokescreen for the real issues in Minaj’s personal life.
Despite claims that they are trying to keep this information under wraps, there has been growing attention towards Minaj and her husband’s convictions. Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty has a string of offences against him. In 1995 he was convicted of first-degree attempted rape after he sexually assaulted Jennifer Houghat knifepoint. He also pleaded guilty last month for failing to register as a sex offender after he moved to California and is facing 10 years in jail.
Hough now claims that since March Kenneth Petty and Nicki Minaj have been pressuring herto recant her 1995 statement to spare Petty jail time. Jennifer alleges that she suffered an ‘onslaught of harassing calls and unsolicited visits to herself and her family’. She is suing both Minaj and Petty for harassment, witness intimidation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges.
Jennifer Hough continues to share her story. Last month she made an appearance on American TV Show ‘The Real’ and opened up about her experience. 'What they did to me, and my family wasn’t OK,' Hough said of Minaj and Petty. 'It wasn’t right, and it doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what your status is. You can’t intimidate people to make things better for you.'
What we need to be doing is turning our attention to Jennifer Hough and her story to ensure it gets the amplification needed. Instead of fuelling Minaj’s publicity machine, we need to give Jennifer, a victim of sexual abuse and intimation, the floor. Hough told the Daily Beastshe hopes her lawsuit ‘will encourage other women and young girls, especially her own daughters, to stand up for themselves—even and especially when it seems like no one else will.’
While Hough does everything she can to share her story, many feel that Minaj is conducting a publicity stunt to divert attention from her allegations. From her vaccine opinions, to this rant about Little Mix, it increasingly feels to them like a publicity stunt designed to make us look the other way.
READ MORE: Why Did Jesy Nelson Leave Little Mix?