Nicki Minaj is in hot water. The rapper is being sued by her former tour manager, Brandon Garrett, for assault, battery, and emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles on January 3, 2025.
Alleged Backstage confrontation turns violent
According to the legal documents, Garrett claims Minaj hit him and verbally attacked him during a confrontation backstage at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. This incident allegedly took place after one of Minaj’s performances on April 21, 2024. Garrett had been working as her day-to-day manager for the Pink Friday 2 tour.
Text Message leads Garrett to Minaj’s Dressing Room
Garrett claims the trouble started before he even entered Minaj’s dressing room. He says Minaj’s head of security, Larry Dathan, texted him, asking him to speak with the rapper. Garrett walked into the room where Minaj was surrounded by eight other staff members, including another employee, Luke Montgomery.
Minaj complains about Staff and targets Montgomery
At first, Minaj reportedly started complaining about her team’s inefficiency. She allegedly yelled that some people didn’t know their roles or who they were supposed to report to. Then, Minaj’s attention shifted to Montgomery. She wanted to know what exactly his position was, according to court documents.
Montgomery explains his Duties and sparks Minaj’s Wrath
Montgomery explained that his duties involved setting up the dressing room, organizing the private jet, preparing hotel rooms, and making sure the tour bus was ready. He also mentioned that he took on additional tasks given by Garrett, such as running personal errands for Minaj, including picking up prescriptions.
That’s when the situation escalated. Garrett claims he told Minaj that he had asked Montgomery to handle the prescription pickup because he was busy assisting her with costume changes during the show.
Minaj goes on the Offensive
Minaj didn’t take kindly to this. Garrett claims that she became “visibly upset” and screamed at him. She reportedly said, “Are you f—— crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f—— mind. If my husband, Kenneth Petty, were here, he would knock out your f—— teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f—– up your whole life. You will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”
The physical Attack
The verbal attack didn’t stop there. According to Garrett’s lawsuit, Minaj also yelled at Montgomery, demanding him to search through his phone and find details of the prescription he had picked up for her.
After berating Montgomery, Garrett claims Minaj turned her attention back to him. That’s when things reportedly got physical. Garrett alleges that Minaj got very close to his face and slapped him hard on the right side of his face, causing his head to jerk back and his hat to fly off.
Garrett’s Injuries and emotional Distress
But that wasn’t all. Garrett also says that Minaj hit him on the wrist, causing pain that persisted for hours afterward. Garrett claims that after the incident, he locked himself in a bathroom for hours to process what had just happened.
The Fallout: Garrett fired and Police Report filed
The fallout didn’t stop with the confrontation. Garrett says he later received a text telling him that he would not be joining Minaj for the next stop on the tour. He then filed a police report in Detroit, documenting the incident.
Now, Garrett is seeking punitive damages, general damages, and compensation for the emotional distress he says he suffered.
Minaj’s legal Team responds
Minaj’s attorney, Judd Burstein, denied the allegations. He clarified that Minaj had not yet received the lawsuit and was unaware of the specific claims. However, Burstein also described the allegations as “completely false and frivolous.” He expressed confidence that the lawsuit would be swiftly resolved in Minaj’s favor.
Minaj’s History of Controversy
This isn’t the first time Minaj has faced controversy. She’s no stranger to drama in her personal and professional life. But this lawsuit raises serious questions about her conduct on tour. As the legal battle continues, all eyes are on the rapper to see how she handles these explosive allegations.
