Nicki Minaj Responds To A $20M Default Judgement Lawsuit

Things don’t seem suitable for Kenneth Petty and Nicki Minaj since the default judgment lawsuit for $20M is facing the couple, on top of other things.

The couple married in 2019. Just about a year later, Petty was arrested and charged for failing to register as a sex offender in California after moving from New York. In 1995 Petty committed first-degree attempted rape. He spent about four years in prison.

Jennifer Hough, Barbz and Death Threats

Petty’s victim’s name is Jennifer Hough. This summer, she filed a lawsuit against both Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty. Hough went on The Real to claim the couple tried to pay her off. Nicki’s associates also harassed Hough when paying didn’t work out. 

“[They were] sending people to negotiate numbers as far as money is concerned with family members, and Nicki is the one who personally reached out to me in regard to helping her, helping them in this situation,” Hough shared on The Real. “And then the threats that I received because I kept saying no to every offer, to every suggestion.”

In an exclusive interview,, Jennifer Hough, the woman suing Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty over allegations including witness intimidation and harassment, opens up about the lawsuit and speaks out for the first time on camera. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/ZRS7m9BBGc

— The Real (@TheRealDaytime) September 22, 2021

Hough also pointed out the incident, “when one of their associates put $20,000 on my lap, and I still kept saying no. The last message I received was that I should have taken the money ’cause they’re going to take that money to put on my head.”

Finally, when Hough’s interview came out, she started to receive death threats in her DMs. Those came from Nicki Minaj’s hardcore fans, also known as “Barbz”.

Hough Files Lawsuit Against Minaj and Petty

Hough struck back at the couple with a lawsuit. She accused them of harassment, witness intimidation, emotional distress, assault, battery, sexual assault, and sexual battery. Hough filed the documents on August 13th. Petty and Minaj failed to respond within 21 days. Thus, Hough filed another motion asking the court to give her a default judgment of $20M.

Jennifer Hough’s Court Document. Source: Hollywood Unlocked

The text of a default judgment motion says, “please enter the default of defendants Onika Tanya Maraj, and Kenneth Petty, AKA Zoo, pursuant to Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for failure to plead or otherwise defend this action as fully appears from the court file herein and from the attached affirmation of Tyrone A. Blackburn, Esq.”

Nicki Responds To The Default Judgement

Nicki Minaj responded to the default judgement with an argument that the failure to address the complaint in question in a timely fashion was “not willful.” She thought she hired the attorney Judd Berstein to represent her, while her manager failed to formally retain the lawyer. 

“My failure to respond to the complaint was the product of an innocent mistake, and I ask the court to excuse the delay so that I can defend what I believe to be an entirely frivolous case which plaintiff’s counsel has brought against me in an effort to use my name to generate publicity for himself,” Minaj is quoted as stating in the documents.

Finally hired, Burstein now also argues that his client should be able to pursue a motion to dismiss the complaint on multiple grounds.

How do you think the case will eventually turn out? Read more on Nicki Minaj @FMHipHop 

Written by Nikita Serdiuk. | Twitter: @nktserdiuk