Nicki Minaj sued by former employee for alleged assault: report
According to the legal documents obtained by TMZ, Garrett alleges that he was “struck” by Minaj backstage after a concert in Detroit.
Rapper Nicki Minaj is reportedly facing a lawsuit from a man who claims to have been a “former manager” during her 2024 Pink Friday 2 tour. The lawsuit, filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court by Brandon Garrett, accuses Minaj of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
According to the legal documents obtained by TMZ, Garrett alleges that he was “struck” by Minaj backstage after a concert at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena in April. Garrett, who claims he was Minaj’s manager at the time. The lawsuit states that the incident occurred after a dispute regarding an errand he was assigned. Garrett was supposed to pick up prescriptions for Minaj but delegated the task to another employee.
The lawsuit claims that Minaj was “visibly upset,” per Billboard, and yelled at Garrett, telling him, “Are you f*cking crazy having him pick up my prescription?” The lawsuit also claimed she said “You have lost your f*cking mind and if my husband was here, he would knock out your f*ckking teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f*cked up your whole life and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”
Garrett further claims that Minaj “struck him” on the “right side of his face, causing his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head.” Security for Minaj reportedly approached Garrett and allegedly hit him on the wrist before Minaj ordered him to leave. Garrett says he was subsequently stranded in Detroit and was not allowed to return to the tour bus.
In response to the lawsuit, Minaj’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, issued a statement to TMZ denying the claims, stating that the allegations are “false and frivolous.” Her lawyer also clarified that Garrett was not Minaj’s manager but rather her “ex-assistant.”
“At this time, no complaint has been served upon Mrs. Petty (Nicki’s married name), and therefore, we are unaware of the specific allegations. 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 favor,” Burstein said.
Garrett is seeking punitive, exemplary, and general damages in the lawsuit, which includes claims of assault, battery, and emotional distress.