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Exclusive: Nicki Minaj Sued by Fan - Will This Lead to Less Celebrity-Fan Interaction?

by Venus Sanders

“Beyoncé doesn’t even talk to y’all!” One Barb commented during the rollout of Beyoncé’s Cécred Campaign. The Beyhive eagerly rushed to support their fave, reposting and sharing her content in an effort to draw more eyes and even began tagging their favorite beauty gurus for their reviews of Cécred. But in the midst of it all, Beyoncé said… nothing, which is not uncommon for the global superstar.


But this is not just a Beyoncé thing; many actors and actresses do not interact with their fans, with most going as far as to not have social media accounts at all. The same cannot be said for rappers like Nicki Minaj, JT, Cardi B, and even Latto, who will regularly quote tweets in response to any backlash received. But why is this more common with the Hip Hop girlies, versus male rappers, female R&B/Pop artists, and so forth?


Nicki Minaj likes to consider herself the blueprint when it comes to the success that the female Hip Hop genre has garnered over the past fourteen years. While she is not entirely wrong, like Cardi B, who has paved the way for mediocre female rap to enter the mainstream, Minaj has made it seemingly okay for celeb-fan interactions.


Whether this is done via live streams on Instagram or Stationhead, either way, she’s interacting. Given the numbers she’s done on tour and the sales from her most recent album, surely the label executives are encouraging this level of interaction from all celebrities with their fans. But did anyone ever consider that a fan would sue their fave?

According to TMZ, Tameer Peak is suing Minaj for $5 million in damages for reputational harm, emotional distress, and financial loss. “In court documents viewed by TMZ, Peak claims that he’s been one of the rapper’s most fervent fans for 15 years, and that he boosted her career by helping to promote her 2023 album ‘Pink Friday 2.’” Peak is making these allegations because, during this time, the Barbz felt as though Minaj did not do a good enough job promoting the album.


Hence, the concept, Gag City with A.I. images took over Twitter, and fans went into a frenzy, which did, in fact, give the album a great push. In his lawsuit, Peak also includes that he was ridiculed by Nicki when she invited him to a hotel on one occasion to embarrass him on Instagram live with at least 10,000 people watching. Documents also include an experience during a 2020 Super Bowl event where Peak says he was battered by Nicki Minaj’s husband.


She’s SINGLE did catch up with Peak to gain some additional insight. When asked to share more information about why he decided to take legal action against the rapper, despite having shown himself to be a loyal fan for the past decade and attending her PF2 tour multiple times, he responded with, “I didn’t put her in the media. The suit doesn’t even have a case number yet; it was filed last night and was supposed to be a private matter.” Peak went on to say, “I was filing a motion to get it sealed once it’s been accepted so that it would not come out in the news, and I wouldn’t have to endure further harassment because I know how the Barbz get. Nevertheless, it’s been filed. Win or lose, it’s been done.”


Nicki’s attorney, Judd Burstein, did respond: “Mr. Peak has been harassing Nicki on social media for years on end to no avail. He has now graduated to seeking to shake her down financially with manifestly false accusations and legally frivolous claims. He will regret having gone down this disputable road when he is forced to pay her legal fees as required by California law.”


At this time, it seems that Mr. Peak is not backing down and plans to go forward with his lawsuit. But how will this impact the way celebrities interact with their fans going forward, particularly Minaj, who has essentially integrated her fan interactions into her branding? She is known for communicating with the Barbz regularly and speaking with them as though they are all friends and comrades.


This is a developing story.

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