According to the raptress' lawyer, the latest action from Jennifer Hough's legal team is 'yet another example' of a strategy to harass the hip-hop star and harm her reputation.
- Apr 13, 2022
AceShowbiz - Nicki Minaj's lawyer Judd Burstein has responded to claims made by Jennifer Hough's legal team that the raptress has "a reputation of supporting sex offenders." On Monday, April 11, Burstein called the allegations a "baseless and disgusting attack."
Burstein first filed a declaration demanding a "ridiculous" motion for sanctions against Blackburn. "Mr. Blackburn's conduct in this case has been disgraceful," Burstein wrote in a Monday filing. "He should be severely punished for it … so that, hopefully, other lawyers will understand that they have an obligation to their clients, the court, opposing counsel, and the legal profession itself not to pursue bad faith, frivolous, and indeed extortionate litigation in such a reprehensible manner."
In response to that, Blackburn called the motion "ridiculous." He said in his declaration, "Upon information and belief, [Nicki Minaj] has a reputation of supporting sex offenders."Blackburn pointed out that Minaj's brother, Jelani, was sentenced in 2020 to 25 years to life after his 2017 conviction on predatory sexual assault and child endangerment.
He also accused the "Anaconda" hitmaker of having "orchestrated a public relations campaign attempting to discredit the 11-year-old female victim" in her brother's case, among other things. He additionally mentioned Minaj's husband Kenneth Petty who was arrested in 2020 after failing to register as a sex offender in the state of California.
Burstein was quick to blast Blackburn over the claims."Faced with a claim that he should be sanctioned because … of his entirely irrelevant accusation-made without any evidentiary support -that [Minaj] belongs to a murderous street gang, one would have expected Mr. Blackburn to limit his response to an explanation why that allegation was appropriate or at least made in good faith," he said of Tyrone Blackburn, who represents Hough. "He did not do so. Instead, he did something far worse: he has now outrageously alleged that [Minaj] supports the sexual abuse of children."
According to Burstein, this latest action from Blackburn is "yet another example" of a strategy to harass Minaj and harm her reputation. "Mr. Blackburn surely included this outrageous accusation knowing that the media will likely report on the lie, thereby creating the very reputation which he had no basis for alleging in the first place," he added.
Hough sued Minaj and Petty last August. She claimed that she had been raped by Petty in 1994 and that the couple bullied her into remaining quiet. She said that she had been "traumatized her entire life" and then subjected to harassment by Minaj and Petty and their "allies, legal teams, and fans."
"Nicki Minaj, directly and indirectly, reached out to plaintiff Hough's family members to ensure plaintiff would recant her legitimate claim that defendant Petty raped her," Hough wrote at the time.
