Nicki Minaj, the self-proclaimed 'Queen of Rap,' finds herself at the centre of a burgeoning controversy that transcends the music charts. A firestorm of controversy engulfed the 'Bang Bang' hitmaker after she fully and publicly embraced her support for MAGA, triggering a wave of scrutiny regarding her residency status and legal standing in the United States.
While the rapper has been a fixture of American pop culture for over a decade, digital platforms are now awash with speculation about her immigration status. These allegations have culminated in a viral campaign by critics who are calling for her deportation back to where she was born.
Is Nicki Minaj an Illegal Immigrant?
Joseph Anthony Redden, also known as The Older Millennial, on TikTok, weighed in on the recent controversy involving Nicki Minaj. There are allegations that the 'Megatron' artist is an illegal immigrant.
However, Redden shut down the rumours, saying, 'No, she's not' before explaining how Minaj moved from Trinidad and Tobago to the United States when she was just 5. Redden said Minaj's mother was already in the US legally before she joined her in the country lawfully and became a naturalised US citizen.'
'She didn't enter without permission. She didn't overstay her visa. She did the process the way you're supposed to do it, and became not only a legal citizen, but a naturalised one,' he added.
According to Redden, the allegations that Minaj is an illegal immigrant are false and he wondered why people are doing it. 'What do you think you have to gain by lying about that?' he asked.
@theoldermillennial So Josh Here Likes To Make Stuff Up.
♬ original sound - The Older Millennial
Allegations of Undocumented Status and Protecting Assets
Redden made the remarks in response to Josh Green, aka @joshtheprogressive on TikTok, who claimed that Minaj is an 'illegal immigrant.' The political commentator suggests that Minaj's appearance at a Turning Point USA event in Arizona with Erika Kirk was a calculated survival tactic rather than a genuine change of heart because she allegedly wanted to protect her assets.
'Minaj is an undocumented immigrant,' Green claimed, adding that she's 'at risk of losing her $20 million Hidden Hills, California home' after failing to pay the security guard her husband assaulted in 2019 with a $500,000 settlement.
@joshtheprogressive Wait until MAGA finds out about this one…
♬ original sound - Josh Greene 🇺🇸
The £400,000 Settlement
In 2019, Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, assaulted security guard Thomas Weidenmuller backstage during her concert in Frankfurt, Germany. A fan managed to breach the security and reach Minaj, which made her angry.
Minaj berated a female guard before turning her wrath to Weidenmuller. Later, her husband attacked Weidenmuller and it was so intense that the latter suffered a broken jaw.
A Los Angeles judge ordered the couple to pay Weidenmuller approximately £400,000 ($503,318), but they repeatedly refused to pay the settlement. So, Weidenmuller asked the court to sell her property in Hidden Hills.
'Although it is regrettable that the extraordinary measure of forcing the sale of Minaj's dwelling is required, that result is entirely the product of her intransigence in not making payment,' Weidenmuller's lawyer said in the motion, noting that the rapper can pay the settlement if she would want to, but 'she has refused to do so despite multiple written requests for payment.'
The Growing Movement to Deport Minaj
The discourse has moved beyond mere speculation, manifesting in a formal digital campaign to have Minaj deported back to Trinidad and Tobago. One hosted an online petition on Change.org asking for the deportation of the 'Are You Gone Already' singer due to her 'outdated and harmful notions, such as "boys should be just boys.""
The petitioner claimed that Minaj 'betrayed' those who found solace in her music, especially those who belong in the LGBTQ+ community. Her statement allegedly left many 'feeling deflated and disillusioned' and was a 'stark contrast to the solidarity she once showed.'
'Deporting Nicki Minaj back to Trinidad would serve as a reminder that public figures need to be accountable for their words and the broader impact they have on diverse communities,' the petition read.
Embracing the MAGA Movement and Political Realignment
The backdrop to these allegations is Minaj's surprising and vocal embrace of the MAGA movement. Before the current questions about her citizenship surfaced, Minaj joined Erika Kirk at the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona.
At the event, she publicly proclaimed her support for President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Minaj's political alignment with the Republicans appears to be the primary catalyst for the current scrutiny of her legal status.
By entering the highly polarised political arena, she has invited intense investigation from both critics and supporters. Whether her support for the conservative platform is a genuine shift in belief or a strategic manoeuvre remains a subject of intense public debate.
