Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj is facing legal action after being accused of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The allegations come from Brandon Garrett, a former day-to-day manager for Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour, who claims the artist struck him during a backstage confrontation in Detroit.
In a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Garrett alleges that Minaj (whose real name is Onika Maraj) hit him multiple times during an altercation on April 21, following a concert at the Little Caesars Arena.
According to Garrett’s account, the incident began after he was summoned to Minaj’s dressing room by her head of security, Larry Dathan (known as “Bz”). Garrett claims that upon entering, he was met with an irate Minaj and several staff members, including Dathan, employee Luke Montgomery, and her former manager Deb Antney.
Minaj reportedly expressed frustration over disorganization among her team and turned her attention to Montgomery, questioning his responsibilities.
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Montgomery explained that his duties included managing various tour logistics and personal errands, as well as picking up prescriptions at Garrett’s request. This admission allegedly enraged Minaj, who, according to Garrett, lashed out verbally and issued threats.
Garrett claims she said, “If my husband was here, he would knock out your f****** teeth,” and warned, “You just f***** up your whole life. I’ll make sure of it.”
The complaint states that Minaj demanded details about the prescriptions but grew increasingly frustrated when Montgomery could not recall specifics, after reviewing messages on Montgomery’s phone, Minaj allegedly struck Garrett open-handedly on the right side of his face and hit his wrist, leaving him in pain.
Following the altercation, Garrett says he locked himself in a restroom for hours before being informed he would no longer be traveling with the tour group. He claims he later contacted both the Detroit and Chicago police departments to file reports, citing concerns for his safety.
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Garrett eventually filed a formal report in Detroit and is now seeking punitive and general damages for the incident.
Minaj’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “false and frivolous.” In a statement to Variety, Burstein emphasized confidence in Minaj’s eventual vindication, stating, “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.”
