Nicki Minaj has been sued for assault by a person who claims the rapper bodily attacked him following a live performance in Detroit final April, in accordance with paperwork filed in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom on Friday (Jan. 3).
Within the criticism, the plaintiff, Brandon Garrett, claims that whereas working as a day-to-day supervisor for Minaj’s 2024 Pink Friday 2 tour, the rapper (actual identify Onika Maraj) hit him a number of occasions after flying right into a rage backstage at Little Caesars Area in Detroit.
In line with the lawsuit, the alleged assault occurred on April 21 after Garrett was summoned to Minaj’s dressing room backstage on the area, the place he says he was confronted by Minaj and her former supervisor Deb Antney about sending one other tour worker, recognized as hospitality supervisor Luke Montgomery, to select up prescriptions for Minaj in his place.
“Ms. Antney requested why Mr. Montgomery was choosing up prescriptions on behalf of Defendant Maraj,” the criticism reads, referring to Minaj by her beginning identify. “Plaintiff responded that he had Mr. Montgomery decide up a prescription prior to now as a result of Defendant Maraj wished it instantly, however Plaintiff was occupied on the venue with Defendant Maraj within the fast change room throughout a efficiency as a result of one among Plaintiff’s job duties was helping Defendant Maraj with dressing throughout performances.”
Garrett claims that Minaj then turned “visibly upset” and “angrily screamed” at him, “Are you f—ing loopy having him decide up my prescription? You’ve misplaced your f—ing thoughts and if my husband was right here, he would knock out your f—king tooth. You’re a useless man strolling. You simply f—ed up your complete life and you’ll by no means be anybody, I’ll be sure that of it.” Minaj then allegedly “began yelling” at Montgomery, asking what day he picked up the prescriptions and “what actual prescriptions they had been.” When Montgomery mentioned he didn’t bear in mind, Minaj allegedly “screamed” at him “to look via his telephone till he finds it.”
The criticism states that when neither Montgomery nor Garrett might discover the knowledge Minaj had requested, she “requested to see Mr. Montgomery’s mobile phone to learn the final textual content message between Plaintiff and Mr. Montgomery.” After Montgomery allegedly provided up his mobile phone to Minaj to learn the messages, Garrett says she approached him and “received very near his face” whereas persevering with to yell at him.
“At this level, Defendant Maraj open-handedly struck Plaintiff on the suitable aspect of his face, inflicting his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” the criticism reads. Garrett alleges that at this level, a number of members of Minaj’s safety group “swarmed in shut” to them earlier than Minaj allegedly “struck Plaintiff on his proper wrist, knocking the paperwork in Plaintiff’s hand onto the ground.”
Garrett claims that Minaj then ordered him out of the room. After complying along with her demand, he says he “ran to the closest restroom and locked himself inside for hours,” throughout which he says he known as his fiance to inform him what had occurred. “At this level, Plaintiff’s wrist was throbbing and his face was sore, however he stayed within the restroom as a result of he was terrified and feared for his security,” the criticism continues. Within the “early morning hours” of April 22, Garrett says he then acquired a textual content message “from a bus mate on the tour” informing him that Antney mentioned Garrett “wouldn’t be using the bus from Detroit to Chicago,” leaving him stranded.
After arriving again in Chicago on a flight, Garrett says he contacted the Chicago Police Division for a police escort again to his resort “as a result of he feared for his security and didn’t know if his belongings had been eliminated or tampered with.” He says he filed a police report with the Chicago PD after arriving again at his room, the place he allegedly remained “for the following couple days…as a result of he was fearful and traumatized” over the incident. He says he then flew again to Detroit to file a proper police report there.
Garrett is suing for intentional infliction of emotional misery, assault and battery and is asking for punitive and exemplary damages and common damages, amongst different reduction.
A consultant for Minaj didn’t instantly reply to Billboard‘s request for remark. Antney additionally didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
