Nicki Minaj Faces Lawsuit for Alleged Assault by Ex-Tour Employee

Nicki Minaj is facing a lawsuit filed by her former day-to-day manager, Brandon Garrett, who accuses the Grammy-nominated rapper of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, claims that Minaj physically struck Garrett during an altercation backstage at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on April 21, following one of her Pink Friday 2 tour performances.

Garrett, who had worked closely with Minaj throughout the tour, alleges that the confrontation occurred after he had run an errand at Minaj’s request.

According to the complaint, Garrett received a text from Minaj’s head of security, Larry Dathan (known as “Bz”), instructing him to meet the rapper in her dressing room.

When Garrett arrived, he claims the atmosphere quickly turned tense as Minaj began to express frustration with her staff.

In the lawsuit, Garrett recounts how Minaj began complaining about the confusion among her team regarding their roles and responsibilities.

The complaint states that Minaj turned her attention to Luke Montgomery, another staff member, asking him to explain his duties. Montgomery, who was responsible for tasks like setting up the dressing room, hotel rooms, and tour bus, explained that he had also been picking up personal items for Minaj, including prescriptions.

Garrett notes that he had delegated the prescription pickup to Montgomery since he was busy managing other aspects of the tour, including helping Minaj with costume changes and other tour-related responsibilities.

This seemingly small issue about prescription pickups allegedly escalated into a heated confrontation. According to the lawsuit, Minaj became visibly upset, shouting at Garrett, accusing him of being “crazy” for allowing Montgomery to pick up her prescriptions.

She reportedly threatened Garrett, saying, “If my husband was here, he would knock out your fucking teeth.”

The confrontation escalated further when Minaj allegedly told Garrett, “You just fucked up your whole life, and you will never be anyone, I’ll make sure of it.”

The complaint continues, stating that Minaj yelled at Montgomery, demanding to know when he picked up the prescriptions and what specific medications had been acquired.

When Montgomery couldn’t recall the details, Minaj allegedly ordered him to search through his phone until he found the relevant information.

Garrett claims that neither he nor Montgomery could find the details Minaj was asking for, which led to even more shouting.

At this point, the situation allegedly turned physical. Garrett claims that Minaj “got very close to his face” and continued to yell at him before open-handedly striking him on the right side of his face.

The impact reportedly caused Garrett’s head to swing back, and his hat was knocked off. Garrett also claims that Minaj struck his right wrist, leaving him with lingering pain.

After the incident, Garrett alleges that Minaj ordered him to leave the room, but he feared further retaliation. He claims that he locked himself in a nearby restroom for several hours, hoping to avoid more conflict.

Later, Garrett was informed by Minaj’s former manager, Deb Antney, that he would not be traveling with the team to the next stop on the tour in Chicago.

Feeling threatened and unsure of the condition of his personal belongings, Garrett took an Uber to the Detroit airport and contacted the Detroit Police Department.

He wanted to file a police report, but the officers advised him that he would need to file it in person. By that point, Garrett had already booked a flight back to Chicago, where he contacted the Chicago Police Department for assistance.

He requested an escort to his hotel, fearing for his safety. Garrett also claims he was uncertain whether his belongings had been tampered with or removed. Eventually, he filed a police report in Detroit, detailing the incident.

Garrett is seeking both punitive and general damages as part of his lawsuit, claiming that the assault and emotional distress caused him lasting harm.

In a statement issued to the media, Minaj’s lawyer, Judd Burstein, strongly denied the accusations. Burstein described the lawsuit as “false” and “frivolous” and stated that they had not yet been formally served with the complaint.

He expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved in Minaj’s favor, calling it a baseless claim from a former employee.

As the legal battle unfolds, all eyes will be on how this case develops, especially given Minaj’s high public profile. While the rapper has faced controversies before, this lawsuit marks one of the most serious legal challenges of her career.

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