Nicki Minaj is sued by ‘former manager’ over alleged backstage assault on rapper’s tour

Nicki Minaj has been sued for allegedly assaulting a man named Brandon Garrett, who claimed he was a “former manager” during her 2024 Pink Friday 2 Tour last year.

Garrett filed the new lawsuit Friday through attorney Thomas Feher in Los Angeles Superior Court — and is also suing for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In the documents obtained by TMZthe alleged former employee claimed he was “hit” by Minaj, 42, while backstage after a Detroit concert at Little Caesars Arena in April 2024.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Minaj’s attorney Judd Burstein labeled the lawsuit “false and frivolous” and claimed that Minaj has not yet received a formal complaint.

Burstein also suggested that Garrett was the rapper’s “ex-assistant” and not a “former manager.”

The alleged incident occurred when Garrett was called to the rapper’s dressing room to confront him about a message he had been assigned.

Garrett claimed he had to pick up prescriptions for Nicki, but he had sent another employee, Luke Montgomery, because he was busy with other duties at the arena.

The lawsuit then alleged that Minaj became “visibly upset,” per Billboardand started yelling at him, “Are you fucking crazy for him to pick up my prescription?”

It is claimed she also shouted: ‘You’ve gone bloody crazy and if my husband was here he’d knock your bloody teeth out. You’re a dead man walking. You’ve ruined your whole life and you’ll never be anyone, I’ll make sure of that.’

During the alleged incident, Garrett claimed that at one point Nicki approached him and “struck” him on the “right side of his face, causing his head to swing back while his hat flew off his head.”

Minaj’s security — whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty — then quickly approached him, and Garrett claimed she punched him on the right wrist, causing him to drop papers he was holding on the ground.

The music artist allegedly ordered Garrett to “get out” and he went to a bathroom in the venue, where he locked himself.

Worried about his own safety, Garrett claimed he waited in the restroom for hours — and also called his partner to reveal what happened, according to Billboard.

He claimed in the lawsuit that his pulse was throbbing and his face was sore at the time, but he remained in the restroom because he was terrified and feared for his safety.

After the alleged incident, Garrett claimed he was no longer allowed to board the tour bus to return to Chicago, leaving him in Detroit.

He flew back to Chicago to return to his hotel room, and stayed there “for the next few days… because he was scared and traumatized,” according to Billboard.

Garrett claimed he filed a report with Chicago police and then returned to Detroit to also file a formal police report on the alleged assault.

The lawsuit charges the alleged former employee with assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Brandon also seeks punitive, exemplary and general damages.

Nicki’s attorney told DailyMail.com in a statement: “At this time, no complaint has been filed with Ms. Petty and therefore we are not aware of the specific allegations.”

“However, if the lawsuit is as reported by TMZ, it is completely false and frivolous. We are confident that the case brought by this former assistant will be resolved quickly in Ms. Petty’s favor.”

The Pink Friday 2 World Tour started last year in March 2024 and ended in October.

The tour consisted of a total of 79 shows and was in support of her 2023 fifth studio album, titled Pink Friday 2.

In June last year, it was reported that Minaj was having trouble selling tickets for the second leg of the tour.

In 2024, Nicki was also involved in other lawsuits, most notably winning a retraction case in August over a gossip blogger who claimed she was a “crackhead.”

Two years earlier, the Super Bass rapper sued media blogger Nosy Heaux – whose real name is Marley Green – after she uploaded a video claiming the music artist was “putting all this cocaine up her nose.”

The plea agreement requires Green to state that she spread false information about Minaj’s use of cocaine and that she had no evidence to support the claims. TMZ reported at the time.

The blogger may not share or retweet messages that imply the singer is doing something illegal or unethical.

If Marley violates the terms of the settlement, the media personality will be ordered to pay Minaj a $50,000 fine per violation.

That same month in August, a superfan of the rapper filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against the artist.

The fan claimed that Nicki accused him in 2017 of being “a paid mole sent to sabotage her.”

He also accused her husband, Kenneth Petty, of “assaulting” him at a 2020 Super Bowl LIV event.