nickiminaj/InstagramNicki Minaj has spoken out about her relationship with registered sex offender Kenneth Petty.
Minaj reportedly celebrated her 36th birthday with Petty in Turks and Caicos on Sunday, December 9, and uploaded pictures of them posing together on her Instagram account.
The Chun-Li rapper was heavily criticised by some fans when Petty’s history of serious criminal convictions came to public attention.
As reported by TMZ, 40-year-old Petty is a registered sex offender in the state of New York, having been convicted in 1995 of the first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl.
The incident, which took place in 1994, reportedly involved Petty using a ‘knife/cutting instrument’. in an attempt to force the victim into sexual intercourse. He served nearly four years in prison for the crime.
Petty and the victim were both reportedly 16 years old at the time, however Minaj has since stated Petty was 15.
In March 2006, Petty pled guilty to the charge of manslaughter after the shooting death of a man by the name of Lamont Robinson. Petty was given a ten-year prison sentence, of which he served seven years.
The Blast report includes court records indicating Petty was released from prison in May 2013, and had been placed on supervised release for five years, up until May 2018.
According to The Blast, Petty was originally charged with murder in the second degree, but the charge reduced to manslaughter after cutting a deal.
After learning about Petty’s past, some fans have expressed their strong disapproval of the relationship.
One person tweeted:
I hate to say it, but after #NickiMinaj defended her brother (sex offender) and 6ix9ine (sex offender), I can’t honestly say I’m surprised to hear she’s now defending her new boyfriend- another sex offender. It’s really, really sad.
Another said:
You literally have your choice of any man, and this is what you choose? And yes your relationship def does matter to the public because YOU chose to be famous and set an example for millions of young women who follow your every move religiously. #NickiMinaj
Oh nicki noooooooooooooooooo no no no! queen why you do this?! 😭 first Supporting tekashi now this?!
Ugh it doesn’t matter If you knew him before the game! it doesn’t mean you date a rapist! 😭😭😭 #NickiMinaj pic.twitter.com/4tzuUDrVUe
— I’m Eve, your special friend! (@Krazykarenn) December 10, 2018
The documents I'm seeing on Kenneth Petty say he was convicted in 1995 for 1st degree attempted rape that took place in 1994. The girl was 16. He's listed as 40 yrs old, which means he was also 16 in 94. Them being the same age during the reported incident does not discount rape.
— Ivie Ani (@ivieani) December 10, 2018
I hate to say it, but after #NickiMinaj defended her brother (sex offender) and 6ix9ine (sex offender), I can't honestly say I'm surprised to hear she's now defending her new boyfriend- another sex offender. It's really, really sad.
— Steacy Curry 💎 (@SteacyC) December 7, 2018
Oh shit! Yo is nicki minaj dating a sex offender because that shit is disgusting and makes me wanna puke so bad because this guy she’s dating is a serial rapist and raped a 16 year old and in the past support pedophiles i think I’m gonna throw up🤮🤢 #NickiMinaj #imgonnapuke
— XXXTentacion Fanpage Long Live Jahseh (@xxxtentacion_ex) December 5, 2018
What is a Queen? #nickiminaj 🤦🏽♀️ https://t.co/OBAK8OjoGf pic.twitter.com/UyKmNuphkF
— Ninoshka Lopez (@TheNinoLife) December 11, 2018
You literally have your choice of any man, and this is what you choose? And yes your relationship def does matter to the public because YOU chose to be famous and set an example for millions of young women who follow your every move religiously. #NickiMinaj
— 🌻 Angel (@Whisk3yandhon3y) December 11, 2018
Responding to a comment on one of her Instagram posts, Minaj defended Petty:
He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship,
But go awf, Internet. Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.
Minaj later shared more pictures of herself posing alongside Petty, with the following caption:
Oh they wanna talk? Let’s give’m smthn to talk about. *Shania voice*
TMZ report Minaj and Petty are believed to be friends from Queens.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30 and 7-9:30). Alternatively you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.