Nicki Minaj lawsuit dropped by her husband’s accuser

While the case against Minaj was dismissed, the one against husband Kenneth Petty is still ongoing, per court documents.

Jennifer Hough, who, as theGrio previously reported, filed a harassment lawsuit against Nicki Minaj, has reportedly dropped the lawsuit, per court documents.

Back in August 2021, Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, were both sued by Hough, who Petty was convicted of attempting to rape in the ’90s. Hough claimed she was being indirectly threatened and harassed by both of them. She even claimed Minaj had bribed her in an attempt to get her to stop talking about Petty.

It now seems the lawsuit against Minaj has been dropped.

Rap star Nicki Minaj (left) and husband, Kenneth Petty (right), attend the Marc Jacobs Fall 2020 runway show in Feb. 2020, in New York City. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

While the case against Minaj is over, the case against Petty is far from it, according to documents obtained by People magazine. Tyler Blackburn, Hough’s lawyer, shared in a statement obtained by the magazine, “The case against Nicki was voluntarily dismissed. The case against Kenneth Petty is still ongoing.  Stay tuned!”

The outlet also obtained an email from Minaj’s lawyer, Judd Bernstein, to Blackburn, in which he details their plans to fight for money Minaj lost in legal fees over the past months. Bernstein wrote in the email, “Your conduct in pursuing this case against Nicki represents the worst of our legal system: bottom-feeding lawyers who pursue frivolous actions against a celebrity assuming that they will be paid off if they throw up enough dirt.”

Nicki Minaj (left) reportedly hired powerhouse attorney Judd Burstein to defend her in the $20 million lawsuit filed against her by Jennifer Hough (right), the woman who accused the rapper’s husband of rape. (Photos: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images and Screenshot/Fox)

“It is just the beginning of Nicki’s and my efforts to make you pay for your disgraceful conduct,” he wrote to Blackburn, “with both money and, if the Court recommends it, disciplinary sanctions.”

As theGrio previously reported, Hough had her first televised appearance on The Real last year. In the interview, she detailed how her life was impacted following the alleged assault. She explained that she spent years “hiding within myself — living and surviving through insecurities, using them to protect myself. Thinking that if I don’t look a certain way, I won’t attract a certain type of attention. I’ve been like that my whole life.”

Following the interview, Hough revealed she received death threats from Minaj fans.

Blackburn, Hough’s lawyer shared in a statement, “Blackburn’s received messages from 30 different women expressing their support for Jennifer and thanking her for her bravery.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio podcasts “Dear Culture” or “Acting Up?” Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio today!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE