Nicki Minaj, whose legal name is Onika Maraj-Petty, has been named in several lawsuits over the past several years and has filed a few of her own. The Nicki Minaj lawsuits on record include a backstage assault case in which a German security guard came within a day of forcing the sale of her Hidden Hills mansion, a pending assault claim by a former tour manager, a breach-of-contract suit from a production company, a witness-intimidation case tied to her husband’s criminal history, a copyright settlement with Tracy Chapman, two defamation cases she brought herself, and a brief detention at a Dutch airport over cannabis found in her luggage.
The Frankfurt Security Guard Case
The most serious of the recent matters began in March 2019 at the Festhalle arena in Frankfurt, Germany, during the Nicki Wrld Tour. Thomas Weidenmuller, the head of security at the venue, said he intervened in a dispute between Minaj and a female guard, was later summoned to Minaj’s dressing room, and was punched in the face by her husband Kenneth Petty. The blow broke his jaw and required multiple surgeries, including reconstruction using five plates and donor bone from a deceased person.1Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj, Husband Hit With Judgment Over Security Guard
Weidenmuller sued in Los Angeles Superior Court on January 27, 2022, bringing claims of battery, negligence, and conspiracy. He sought roughly $21,000 in medical expenses and $700,000 for ongoing injuries and emotional suffering.2People. Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty Allegedly Owe Security Guard $500K Minaj and Petty never responded. After multiple service attempts at their Calabasas residence, by mail, and eventually by newspaper publication, the court entered default. On March 22, 2024, Judge Lynne M. Hobbs awarded Weidenmuller $503,318.1Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj, Husband Hit With Judgment Over Security Guard
Collection was slow. With costs added, the debt reached $526,110.74. In September 2025, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department placed a levy on the couple’s Hidden Hills home. The mansion had been appraised at roughly $20 million, carried a $13.3 million mortgage to Bank of America, and, after Minaj’s $722,151 homestead exemption, was expected to yield about $6 million in equity, more than enough to satisfy the judgment.3Yahoo Entertainment. Nicki Minaj Halts Forced Sale of Mansion In November 2025, Judge Cindy Pánuco issued a tentative ruling in favor of a forced sale, with a hearing set for January 22, 2026.4Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj’s $20 Million Mansion at Risk in Security Guard Trial
The night before that hearing, Minaj’s team resolved the debt. Weidenmuller’s attorney Paul Saso told the court, “She has satisfied the judgment. It required us going to the one-yard line.” Whether Minaj paid the full amount or a discounted figure was not disclosed.5Yahoo Entertainment. Nicki Minaj Satisfies Judgment in Civil Case
Brandon Garrett’s Assault Suit
On January 3, 2025, Brandon Jovan Garrett, a day-to-day manager on Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour, sued Minaj and her company Pink Personality, Inc. in Los Angeles Superior Court for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.6Variety. Nicki Minaj Sued for Assault by Former Tour Employee
Garrett alleges that after an April 21, 2024, concert at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Minaj confronted him backstage over his decision to send another employee to pick up her prescriptions. According to the complaint, she yelled profanities, told him “If my husband was here, he would knock out your fucking teeth” and “You’re a dead man walking,” then struck him across the face hard enough to knock off his hat and hit his wrist. Garrett said he was later denied a ride to retrieve his belongings and filed a police report in Chicago.7USA Today. Nicki Minaj Sued by Former Manager Brandon Garrett
Minaj’s attorney Judd Burstein called the allegations “completely false and frivolous.” The case was assigned to Judge Eric P. Harmon at the Van Nuys Courthouse West. As of early 2026, no motion to dismiss, settlement, or trial date had appeared on the docket.8Trellis Law. Brandon Jovan Garrett vs. Onika Maraj et al.
The 24/7 Productions Breach-of-Contract Suit
On March 23, 2026, 24/7 Productions (USA) Inc. sued Minaj and Pink Friday Productions in New York, alleging it advanced more than $275,000 in production expenses for her performances at iHeartRadio’s 2023 Jingle Ball concerts and work related to her album Pink Friday 2. The costs covered logistics, staffing, audio, lighting, rigging, and transportation.9Billboard. Nicki Minaj Lawsuit: Concert Production Firm Says She Owes $275K
The complaint says the budget was pre-approved by Minaj’s team, that her representatives acknowledged the debt after the shows, and that after nearly two years of collection attempts the only response was repeated assurances they would “look into this.” Despite the unpaid balance, 24/7 Productions was later hired again to handle production for Minaj’s 79-show Pink Friday 2 tour in 2024.10XXL. Nicki Minaj Sued for $275,000 by Concert Production Company Minaj associate Alex Bruesewitz publicly denied the claims as “completely false.”11Yahoo Entertainment. Nicki Minaj Allegedly Faces Lawsuit Over Unpaid Production Costs
Jennifer Hough’s Harassment Suit
In August 2021, Jennifer Hough, the woman involved in a 1994 attempted rape case against Kenneth Petty, sued both Petty and Minaj in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleging witness intimidation, harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Hough said the couple pressured her to recant her accusation to help remove Petty from the sex offender registry. She alleged that Minaj offered to fly her family to Los Angeles, offered to send a publicist to craft a recantation statement, and offered her $500,000 to write a letter recanting the claim. Hough also said an associate visited her home, offered her $20,000 for her silence, and after she refused warned that “they are going to put that money on my head.” She said the harassment forced her to relocate from Atlanta to Florida.12Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj, Kenneth Petty Sued for Intimidation by Sexual Assault Victim
Hough voluntarily dismissed Minaj from the case in 2022, leaving Petty as the sole defendant. As of mid-2026 the case remained in discovery, with no trial date set.13PACER Monitor. Hough v. Maraj et al., Case 1:21-cv-04568
Tracy Chapman Copyright Settlement
In October 2018, Tracy Chapman sued Minaj in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that Minaj’s unreleased track “Sorry,” a collaboration with Nas, interpolated the lyrics and vocal melody of Chapman’s 1988 song “Baby Can I Hold You” without permission. Minaj’s team had requested a license in July 2018 and been refused, but the track was already recorded. It was left off Minaj’s album Queen, but DJ Funkmaster Flex leaked it on the radio, which prompted the suit.14NPR. Tracy Chapman Wins Lawsuit Against Nicki Minaj
In September 2020, Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that Minaj’s use of the song during the recording process was fair use, but declined to resolve the rest of the case on summary judgment and set a jury trial. The parties settled in January 2021, with Minaj paying Chapman $450,000 to cover all costs and attorneys’ fees. Minaj’s attorney Peter Ross said the case was settled because “It would have cost us more to go to trial.”15Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj, Tracy Chapman Settle Copyright Lawsuit Over Sorry
Defamation Cases Nicki Minaj Filed
Marley Green (“Nosey Heaux”)
In September 2022, Minaj sued gossip blogger Marley Green, known online as “Nosey Heaux,” in New York federal court. The suit said Green posted a video on Twitter calling Minaj a “cokehead” and made derogatory comments about Minaj’s young son, including suggesting he would become a “rapist” because of his father’s criminal history. Minaj sought at least $75,000 in damages.16Rolling Stone. Nicki Minaj Sues Blogger for Calling Her a Cokehead
The case settled in August 2024. Green admitted making false statements about Minaj’s alleged cocaine use and issued a public apology. She also agreed never to make direct or indirect public statements about Minaj, never to express opinions that Minaj engaged in criminal or unethical conduct, never to repost such allegations by others, and never to mention Minaj’s husband or child in public. Each breach carries a $50,000 penalty.17XXL. Nicki Minaj Reaches Settlement With Gossip Blogger Over Cokehead Claims
Tameer Peak
Minaj also faces a $10 million defamation suit filed by Tameer Peak. Attorney Judd Burstein initially represented her and won a dismissal in New Jersey. When Peak refiled in New York, Burstein withdrew, calling the complaint “entirely frivolous” but saying his departure was “unrelated to any concern about the merits.” His withdrawal reportedly came without prior notice to Minaj’s team. The Northstar Group, led by attorney Londell McMillan, stepped in and requested a 45-day stay to review the file.18Yahoo Entertainment. Nicki Minaj’s Longtime Lawyer Drops Her in Defamation Lawsuit
The Amsterdam Cannabis Arrest
On May 25, 2024, Dutch military police detained Minaj at Schiphol Airport after finding what authorities described as “dozens of joints” in her luggage, estimated at between 30 and 100 grams of cannabis. She was held on suspicion of attempting to export soft drugs, which is prohibited under Dutch law.19BBC. Nicki Minaj Freed After Netherlands Arrest
Minaj was released after about four hours and a 350-euro fine (roughly $380), and the case was closed with no further action. She livestreamed part of the encounter on Instagram, called her treatment “disgusting,” suggested race was a factor, and said the cannabis belonged to her security guard. Dutch police rejected any allegation of racial bias. The arrest caused the postponement of her Manchester concert and the cancellation of a scheduled return date in Amsterdam.20VOA News. US Rapper Nicki Minaj Freed After Netherlands Arrest