Nicki Minaj sued for assault by ex-employee claiming ‘fearful’ backstage confrontation during 2024 tour
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Nicki Minaj, 42, has been hit with a lawsuit from Brandon Garrett, who claims to be a former manager during her Pink Friday 2 Tour in 2024.
Filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on January 3, the lawsuit accused Minaj of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress stemming from an alleged altercation backstage at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in April 2024.
Inside Brandon Garrett's lawsuit against Nicki Minaj
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Brandon Garrett was summoned to Nicki Minaj’s dressing room after delegating a task, picking up prescriptions for her to another employee, Luke Montgomery.
Garrett claimed that Minaj became visibly upset, yelling, “Are you f*****g crazy having him pick up my prescription?”
The lawsuit further alleged that Minaj verbally threatened Garrett, saying, “You’re a dead man walking. You just f****d up your whole life, and you will never be anyone.”
He claimed that during the confrontation, Minaj "struck" him on the right side of his face, causing his head to jerk backward and his hat to fall off.
Garrett also alleged she hit his wrist, causing him to drop the documents he was holding.
Fearing for his safety, Garrett stated that he locked himself in a bathroom at the venue for several hours, calling his partner for support.
He later filed police reports in both Chicago and Detroit.
Nicki Minaj’s legal response
Nicki Minaj’s attorney, Judd Burstein, has denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit “false and frivolous".
In a statement to Daily Mail, Burstein clarified that Minaj has not been formally served with a complaint and disputed Garrett’s claim of being a former manager, stating he was merely an ex-assistant.
“We are confident that the matter brought by this ex-assistant will be resolved swiftly in Mrs Petty’s favor,” Burstein said.
Following the alleged incident, Garrett claimed he was barred from returning to the tour bus and left stranded in Detroit.
He eventually flew back to Chicago, where he stayed in his hotel room for several days, describing himself as “fearful and traumatized.”
Garrett is now seeking punitive, exemplary, and general damages for the physical and emotional distress he says he endured.
Challenges during Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday 2 tour
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The Pink Friday 2 Tour, which ran from March to October 2024, supported Nicki Minaj’s fifth studio album.
The tour faced challenges, including reports of struggling ticket sales during its second leg.
Despite the controversies, Minaj completed 79 shows globally.
