Nicki Minaj has hailed the likes of Rihanna, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift “her favorite girls of all time” in pop music.
The 42-year-old star has been keeping a low-profile on social media since her ‘Pink Friday 2 – The Hiatus’ deluxe album didn’t get released as planned on December 13. The original ‘Pink Friday 2’ album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
“Some of my fave girls of all time. Icons,” she wrote on the music streaming site Stationhead to play the music of the female artists she loves most. The platform has seen a 200% increase in user engagement since its launch.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, it was revealed that Nicki was being sued for assault and battery by her former tour manager. The case joins several high-profile legal disputes in the music industry this year.
The rap superstar has been accused of hitting and berating Brandon Garrett, who filed a lawsuit against her in Los Angeles Superior Court, in which he also alleged she subjected him to the “intentional infliction of emotional distress” during her ‘Pink Friday 2’ tour last year.
According to documents obtained by TMZ and Variety, the lawsuit stems from an alleged incident after Nicki’s show at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on 21 April 2025. The venue has a capacity of 20,000 people.
Brandon’s lawyers claim he received a text from the ‘Starships’ hitmaker’s head of security, Larry Dathan, asking him to speak with the singer in her dressing room when he was on his way to the arena. The incident reportedly occurred after a sold-out performance.
When he got there, the manager alleged around eight other staff members were there, and Nicki – who has a four-year-old son with husband Kenneth Petty – began complaining that some didn’t know “what they are supposed to do, and who reports to who” before asking a man named Luke Montgomery his purpose on the tour.
“Mr. Montgomery explained that his duties entailed tasks like venue dressing room set-up, private jet set-up, hotel room set-up, quick change room refreshments and tour bus set-up,” the documents added. “Mr. Montgomery mentioned these duties were in addition to any requests from [Minaj] communicated by [Garrett], including food orders, drinks, personal items, baby items, and, most notably, prescriptions.”
Brandon explained he told his famous boss he had asked his colleague to collect prescriptions because he was busy with tour responsibilities, including assisting Nicki with her costume changes, but he alleged the star then became “visibly upset” and “angrily screamed” at him.
She allegedly fumed: “Are you f****** crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f****** mind and if my husband were here, he would knock out your f****** teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You’ll never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”
She is then accused of yelling at Luke and demanding he look through his phone to find out which medications he had picked up from her, before turning her attention back to Brandon and allegedly getting “very close to his face”.
“At this point, [Minaj] open-handedly struck [Garrett] on the right side of his face, causing his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” the complaint added.
The tour manager – who was also allegedly left with a “throbbing” right wrist after being stuck on the arm” – then locked himself in a bathroom for several hours and received a text message telling him he wasn’t being asked to join the next stop on the tour.
Brandon eventually filed a complaint with Detroit police and is seeking punitive and exemplary damages as well as general damages. Legal experts estimate potential damages could exceed $1 million.
“At this time, no complaint has been served upon [Minaj], and therefore, we are unaware of the specific allegations,” Nicki’s lawyer Judd Burstein told TMZ. “However, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it is completely false and frivolous. We are confident that the matter brought by this ex-assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favour.” The case is expected to proceed to initial hearings within the next few months.
