Nicki Minaj has been sued for assault, battery and “intentional infliction of emotional misery” by her former tour supervisor.
In line with court docket paperwork obtained by TMZ and Selection, a person named Brandon Garrett filed a lawsuit in opposition to the 42-year-old Grammy nominee in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom on Friday, Jan. 3. Garrett alleges that whereas working as a day-to-day supervisor throughout Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour, he had a confrontation with the rapper that ended along with her berating him and hitting him.
The alleged incident befell backstage at Little Caesars Enviornment in Detroit on April 21, 2024, after Minaj’s live performance had ended, the shops report.
Attorneys for Garrett declare within the grievance that the tour supervisor was on his strategy to the sector when Minaj’s head of safety, Larry Dathan, texted him, asking him to talk with Minaj (actual identify Onika Maraj) in her dressing room.
Garrett alleges that eight individuals from Minaj’s workers had been current within the dressing room, together with one other worker named Luke Montgomery. He claims Minaj started to complain about a number of the workers members “not realizing what they’re alleged to do, and who studies to who,” when she turned her consideration to Montgomery, asking what his place was, based on the court docket paperwork, per the shops.
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“Mr. Montgomery defined that his duties entailed duties like venue dressing room set-up, non-public jet set-up, lodge room set-up, fast change room refreshments and tour bus set-up,” the go well with states, per Selection. “Mr. Montgomery talked about these duties had been along with any requests from [Minaj] communicated by [Garrett], together with meals orders, drinks, private objects, child objects, and, most notably, prescriptions.”
Garrett claims that he informed Minaj that he requested Montgomery to select up the prescriptions as a result of he was busy with tour obligations, together with aiding Minaj with costume adjustments throughout her concert events.
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Within the grievance, Garrett alleges that Minaj then turned “visibly upset” and “angrily screamed” at him, telling him: “Are you f—— loopy having him choose up my prescription? You could have misplaced your f—— thoughts and if my husband [Kenneth Petty] had been right here, he would knock out your f—— enamel. You are a lifeless man strolling. You simply f—– up your entire life, and you’ll by no means be anybody, I am going to be certain of it.”
Minaj additionally allegedly yelled at Montgomery, and requested him to look by means of his telephone to search out the precise medicines that he had picked up for her, the shops reported, citing the paperwork. Garrett claims that Minaj then turned her consideration again to Garrett and “obtained very near his face.”
“At this level, [Minaj] open-handedly struck [Garrett] on the precise facet of his face, inflicting his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” the grievance states, per Selection. Attorneys for Garrett additionally state that he was hit in his proper wrist, leaving it “throbbing.”
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Attorneys for Garrett write within the grievance that the previous supervisor locked himself in a rest room for a number of hours after the incident, and he acquired a textual content message telling him he was not being requested to come back with Minaj on the following tour cease.
The previous supervisor ultimately filed an official police report in Detroit, and his attorneys at the moment are asking for punitive and exemplary damages in addition to common damages.
Minaj’s lawyer Judd Burstein informed TMZ in an announcement that she had not but acquired the grievance, however denied the allegations reported by the outlet.
“Right now, no grievance has been served upon [Minaj], and due to this fact, we’re unaware of the particular allegations,” the assertion reads. “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 will likely be resolved swiftly in Mrs. Petty’s favor.”