Nicki Minaj, one of the most acclaimed and best-selling female rappers of all time, had a game plan for her life, and it involved having a husband and at least one baby, possibly two, by the time she released her fifth studio album.
Minaj married the husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, in 2019, after first dating him as a teenager. The Super Bass singer also had her first baby in October 2020, and recently, she tweeted that she’s working on her fifth album.
But Minaj, 38, might have to tear up her game plan now that Petty is facing up to 10 years in prison for his failure to register as a sex offender in California.
Petty, 43, pleaded guilty Thursday (Sept 9) during a virtual hearing in the US District Court for the Central District of California, which oversees both central and southern parts of the state, People reported.
Petty’s latest legal troubles began when he was pulled over by the Beverly Hills Police Department in 2019, and police determined he was registered as a sex offender in New York, but not in California, where he now resides, as TMZ first reported.
When Petty is sentenced in January, he faces a maximum prison term of 10 years and a lifetime of supervised release, People said.
Petty’s sex offender status has long made him a controversial partner for Minaj, including among her fans, but she has defended him since she announced they were an item in December 2018. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, but moving to Queens at age of five, Minaj revealed to fans that she and Petty had known each other since they were “very young kids in the hood".
Minaj tried to argue that his conviction for first-degree attempted rape was a long time ago – in 1995, Us Weekly reported. He was 15, his alleged victim, who accused him of rape, was 16, and that they were in a relationship.
Petty was sentenced to 18 to 54 months, spending a total of four years in prison, People said. Petty was designated a level-two registered offender in New York, which means he’s considered a “moderate risk of repeat offense,” People added.
Minaj defended Petty on Instagram in December 2018, Us Weekly reported. “He was 15, she was 16 ... in a relationship. But go awf, Internet,” she wrote on Instagram on the same day she posted a risque photo of her in bed with Petty. “Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.”
The sexual assault conviction isn’t the only skeleton in Petty’s closet. He also was convicted of manslaughter in the April 2002 shooting death of a man in Queens County, New York, according to records obtained by The Blast. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but served seven.
This record, however, didn’t stop Minaj from thinking he would be good husband material and a good father for her future children. A source told Us Weekly in 2018 that the couple had “discussed” having children.
“Nicki is absolutely head over heels in love with Kenny,” the insider said. “She fell hard and fast. ... She really believes that he has changed since his troublesome days, but some of her friends are still a bit wary.”
If Petty goes to prison, even for a portion of the 10 years, Minaj will be on her own again, and she may have to draw on the wisdom she told Elle magazine that she had attained in 2018, before Petty had apparently returned to her life.
At that time, Minaj was newly and happily single after admitting that she’s had serious boyfriends in her life since she was 15, including a two-year relationship with rapper Meek Mill.
“As soon as I realised that I could actually live and breathe, and eat and sleep, and walk and talk without having a boyfriend, something clicked in me,” Minaj said.
“Becoming single was one of the things that made me feel strong and powerful,” Minaj continued.
“The fact that I am a young woman who doesn’t need a man for money. I don’t need a man for a job. I’ve never had to (expletive) for beats. I’ve never had to (expletive) for a record deal. I don’t have those pressures. I get up when I want, shop when I want.” – The Mercury News/Tribune News Service
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