January 4, 2025
Nicki Minaj Faces Lawsuit From Tour Manager Alleging Assault, Verbal Abuse, And Emotional Distress
An attorney for Minaj said in a statement to Billboard that the lawsuit is a 'frivolous' matter.
Brandon Garrett, a former day-to-day manager of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour, sued the rapper in Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 3, alleging that she assaulted him as she flew into a rage backstage during the show’s Detroit stop.
According to Billboard, Garrett’s complaint describes an incident in April 2024 in which he was summoned to the rapper’s dressing room backstage at Little Caesars Arena and confronted by Minaj (referred to in the lawsuit by her government name, Onika Maraj) and her former manager, Deb Antney, about allegedly sending another employee to pick up Minaj’s prescription medication in his place.
Per the complaint, “Ms. Antney asked why Mr. Montgomery was picking up prescriptions on behalf of Defendant Maraj,” the complaint reads, referring to Minaj’s birth name.
The complaint continued, “Plaintiff responded that he had Mr. Montgomery pick up a prescription in the past because Defendant Maraj wanted it immediately, but Plaintiff was occupied at the venue with Defendant Maraj in the quick change room during a performance because one of Plaintiff’s job duties was assisting Defendant Maraj with dressing during performances.”
According to Garrett’s depiction of events, Minaj was “visibly upset,” then “angrily screamed,” “Are you f—ing crazy having him pick up my prescription? You have lost your f—ing mind, and if my husband was here, he would knock out your f—king teeth. You’re a dead man walking. You just f—ed up your whole life and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”
After more yelling and screaming at Garrett, hospitality manager Luke Montgomery, who had gone to pick up the prescriptions, was allegedly berated and screamed at by Minaj. She then demanded to know which prescriptions he had picked up.
The situation allegedly escalated when neither Montgomery nor Garrett could supply this information. According to the lawsuit, after the rapper read cell phone messages between Montgomery and Garrett, she approached Garrett and “got very close to his face” as she kept yelling at him.
The complaint states, “At this point, Defendant Maraj open-handedly struck Plaintiff on the right side of his face, causing his head to swing backwards as his hat flew off his head,” Garrett also alleges that after this occurred, members of Minaj’s security team “swarmed in close” before Minaj allegedly “struck Plaintiff on his right wrist,” which knocked “the documents in Plaintiff’s hand onto the floor.”
However, despite the complaint, Judd Burstein, an attorney for Minaj, said in a statement to Billboard that he had not been served with a lawsuit, and if the reports, which originated from TMZ, were accurate, the lawsuit is a frivolous matter.
“At this time, no complaint has been served upon Mrs. Petty, 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 wrote.
Garrett is suing Minaj for intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery. He is seeking punitive and exemplary damages, general damages, and other relief.
RELATED CONTENT: Nicki Minaj And Husband Kenneth Petty Must Pay Security Guard $500K