Why Some Nicki Minaj Fans Are Upset Over Her Reported New Boyfriend
Nicki Minaj made her (rumored) new relationship Instagram official over the weekend, but not all fans are happy about her new boo.
Nicki was on a birthday getaway in Turks and Caicos over the weekend – she turned 36 this past Saturday, December 8 – posting multiple photos and videos on IG with friends and her supposed new love interest, Kenneth Petty.
The couple do look cute all up on each other in the photo Minaj posted, so why aren't some fans happy for the rap queen? Well, Petty has a well-documented criminal past. TMZ obtained court records that show Petty is a level two registered sex offender in New York, after being convicted for attempted rape in 1995, when he was about 16 or 17 years old.
While Petty reportedly served up to four years in prison for that charge, TMZ reports he was later convicted of first-degree manslaughter and served an additional seven years. According to TMZ's findings, Petty was released in 2013 for that conviction.
Fans first started wondering about the pair in late November after Nicki began posting with Petty on social media. Once he was identified, including his past convictions, many fans were vocal about their disapproval, causing Nicki to potentially respond in a vague series of Tweets on December 6.
Meanwhile, fans have not stopped criticizing the supposed relationship, with some pretty intense reactions online. See some of the tweets below:
Some fans have also pondered if this is just a publicity stunt to rile people up. It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out in the coming weeks and months.