Nicki Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, is facing an increasing number of lawsuits as it appears that the rap superstar's partner has been hiding his income from his various roles as part of Minaj's career. As a lawsuit brought by Jennifer Hough, Petty's attempted rape victim from 1994, continues to unfold, his financial records have been of particular interest, and Hough's lawyers have called for full disclosure.
Petty is scrutinizing intensely for allegedly failing to report earnings he received while serving as Minaj's manager, security guard, and even nanny. He initially denied earning any income, but during a December 2024 deposition, he changed his tune and acknowledged that he had, in fact, worked for Minaj.
"Mr. Petty's deposition testimony was fraught with inconsistencies," the lawyer representing Hough, Tyrone A. Blackburn, said. " Petty's so-called damages were inconsistent with his public persona as someone who travels widely on Nicki Minaj's international tours."
Blackburn notes Petty's appearances during Minaj's Pink Friday 2 Tour, Rolling Loud, and Coachella between 2018 and 2024 imply long-term before payment. But Deck has claimed that Petty has not provided even essential financial documents like tax returns, bank statements, or employment agreements in response to court orders requiring them to be submitted.
The request for Petty's finances comes as Hough seeks punitive damages, and the numbers could be significant. Industry standards suggest that if you're managing a high-end artist, you're making about 20% of gross on that artist's income, meaning Petty could've been making millions if he had ever actually occupied that position. A list of celebrities' security teams also often earn six-figure salaries. However, Blackburn maintains that records of these earnings have not been shown.
"Public records verify that Petty was actively employed by Nicki Minaj on several concert tours from 2018 to 2024," Blackburn said. "Top-tier artist security teams are very well compensated, sometimes with six-figure salaries."
Blackburn has charged Petty with "willful non-compliance" with the court's discovery orders. Petty's unwillingness to share his financial records has ramifications but can result in monetary sanctions or even a contempt of court finding.
This is the latest in a line of developments in a case that has dragged on since 2021, when Hough sued Petty and Minaj, claiming harassment and intimidation after she declined to recant the decades-old rape accusation she made against Petty. The claims against Minaj were later dismissed, but the case against Petty remains active, and now his financial dealings are under legal scrutiny.
Blackburn is pursuing penalties and maintains that Petty's failure to produce tax returns and other financial disclosures directly contravenes the court's ruling and long-standing legal precedent.
"His refusal to provide tax returns and financial documents is a flagrant violation of the Court's order and well-settled law," Blackburn wrote.
Now faced with mounting legal pressure, a guy like Petty may soon have no choice but to come clean about how he gets paid. This court will uncover whether that was actually what he believed in or if he was trying to shield himself from financial liability.
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