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 line with paperwork filed in Los Angeles Superior Court docket on Friday (Jan. 3).
Within the grievance, 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 Enviornment in Detroit.
In response to the lawsuit, the alleged assault occurred on April 21 after Garrett was summoned to Minaj’s dressing room backstage on the enviornment, 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 choose up prescriptions for Minaj in his place.
“Ms. Antney requested why Mr. Montgomery was selecting up prescriptions on behalf of Defendant Maraj,” the grievance reads, referring to Minaj by her delivery identify. “Plaintiff responded that he had Mr. Montgomery choose up a prescription previously 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 certainly one of 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 choose up my prescription? You’ve got misplaced your f—ing thoughts and if my husband was right here, he would knock out your f—king enamel. You’re a lifeless man strolling. You simply f—ed up your complete life and you’ll by no means be anybody, I’ll ensure of it.” Minaj then allegedly “began yelling” at Montgomery, asking what day he picked up the prescriptions and “what precise prescriptions they have been.” When Montgomery mentioned he didn’t bear in mind, Minaj allegedly “screamed” at him “to look by means of his cellphone till he finds it.”
The grievance states that when neither Montgomery nor Garrett might discover the data Minaj had requested, she “requested to see Mr. Montgomery’s cellphone to learn the final textual content message between Plaintiff and Mr. Montgomery.” After Montgomery allegedly supplied up his cellphone 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 precise aspect of his face, inflicting his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” the grievance 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 grievance continues. Within the “early morning hours” of April 22, Garrett says he then obtained a textual content message “from a bus mate on the tour” informing him that Antney mentioned Garrett “wouldn’t be driving 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 subsequent 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.
In an announcement despatched to Billboard, Minaj’s legal professional Judd Burstein wrote, “At the moment, no grievance has been served upon Mrs. Petty, and due to this fact, we’re unaware of the particular allegations. Nevertheless, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it’s utterly false and frivolous. We’re assured that the matter introduced by this ex assistant shall be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favor.”
Garrett is suing for intentional infliction of emotional misery, assault and battery and is asking for punitive and exemplary damages and normal damages, amongst different aid.
Antney didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
