Nicki Minaj married Kenneth Petty in 2019 knowing about his controversial past. A convicted sex offender, Petty was incarcerated on charges of first-degree attempted rape in April 1995.
Now, Petty’s sexual assault victim Jennifer Hough — who’s suing the couple for witness intimidation and harassment — is speaking out for the first time.
During Wednesday’s (September 22) episode of The Real, Hough and her attorney sat down with the show’s hosts and claimed Nicki Minaj attempted to bribe her. Looking noticeably uncomfortable, Hough made it clear from the jump she was “tired of being afraid” before breaking down in tears.
“I just knew he did what he did, and he went to jail,” she said. “I had to leave my family, I had to leave my home and I had to move away.”
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When asked if Hough had ever spoken to Nicki Minaj directly, she replied, “I did. In March of 2020. She called me, and said she got word I was willing to help them out in the situation. I didn’t understand what she was referring to, and she offered to fly me and my family to L.A. I turned it down. I told her, woman-to-woman, this really happened and I haven’t spoken to her since.”
Hough then alleged Nicki’s associates attempted to pay her a large sum of cash to help them with the situation as she detailed the harassment she experienced.
“[They were] sending people to negotiate numbers as far as money is concerned with family members, and Nicki is the one who personally reached out to me in regard to helping her, helping them in this situation,” she explained. “And then the threats that I received because I kept saying no to every offer, to every suggestion.
“The last incident was when one of their associates put $20,000 on my lap, and I still kept saying no. The last message I received was that I should have taken the money ’cause they’re going to take that money to put on my head.”
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Finally, Hough explained why she was suing Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty.
“To let them know that they were wrong and you can’t do this to people. You shouldn’t do this to people … he had consequences that he was supposed to stick with. What he did to me and my family wasn’t OK.
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“It wasn’t right, and it doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what your status is. You can’t intimidate people to make things go better for you. And that’s what they did. I want my daughters to know as they grow, as they experience life, as they come in contact with friends, family, strangers — whatever — that they’ll have the strength to know that they have a voice, and they should use it. And don’t let anybody try to silence them.”
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Kenneth Petty committed the alleged crime in 1994. Prosecutors at the time said he used a sharp object and tried to force the then-16-year-old girl to have sex. As a result, Petty served roughly four years in a New York state prison.
After Petty was released, he was convicted of first-degree manslaughter. He served another seven years behind bars and was let out in 2013.
