As Nicki Minaj continues to battle Jennifer Hough’s witness intimidation suit in court, it appears a media strategy is taking shape—and Hough’s attorneys are hitting back against what they claim is misleading reporting.
On Thursday TMZ reported that in “filed legal docs,” Minaj’s attorneys had refuted Hough’s account of being harassed by Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty, the latter of whom sexually assaulted Hough when she was a teenager. The legal argument hinges on supposed inconsistencies between Hough’s interview with The Daily Beast and the account she provided the court. Hough’s attorneys, however, point out that the motion for sanction was never filed—because, they say, it’s too frivolous to do so.
In a statement provided to The Daily Beast Thursday, Hough’s attorneys Tyrone Blackburn, Steven Gordon, and their co-counsels at McGivney, Kluger, Clark & Intoccia pointed out that Hough had actually just scored a legal victory against the music artist: The Court has ordered that Hough can move forward in pursuing a default judgment against Minaj—which means Minaj must defend herself both in motions and at a hearing, set for January 20.
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“After the hearing yesterday, it is telling that TMZ would report something that did not occur, as opposed to the hearing that did occur that permits Ms. Hough to continue pursuing the default against Minaj,” the attorneys wrote.
The motion for sanction is the fourth Hough’s lawyers have received from Minaj’s legal team—none of which have been filed. It’s also the second that’s been leaked to the press. The Daily Beast has reviewed the most recent motion in full, as well as the notice of motion for the remaining three, and spoke with Hough’s attorney Gordon by phone.
Petty was convicted in New York of one count of attempted rape in the first degree after assaulting a 16-year-old Hough in 1994; additional charges included assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon.
In March Hough told The Daily Beast that she’d moved three times in 2020 and changed her phone number out of fear for her safety. Associates of Minaj and Petty had allegedly been harassing Hough to recant her rape claim in response to federal charges brought against Petty for failing to register as a sex offender in the state of California. Representatives for Minaj and Petty did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment at the time.
Hough is suing the Pettys for charges including intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment, and witness intimidation. Hough’s legal team filed their request for default judgment after the rapper failed to respond to the lawsuit for months.
The motion for sanction TMZ reported Thursday cites a screen capture of a text message Hough allegedly sent Minaj in August, in which she wrote, “US Marshalls are asking questions!!! They showed up at my house.” The musician’s attorney, Judd Burstein, claims in the motion Hough’s text to Minaj disproves that she’d been trying to hide her new number and location. Burstein also argued that Hough’s claim that Minaj offered her money through intermediaries was a speculative ploy to “secure a quick payday for herself.”
Hough’s attorneys told The Daily Beast that TMZ did not reach out to Hough before publishing their story about the motion, and that the document had not been “filed” as the outlet stated.
“Federal court filings bear a distinctive red stamp with filing and case number, filing date, and page numbers,” the attorneys wrote. “The face of the document would reveal no motion was filed. Civil case filings can be accessed within a few seconds online; there is no excuse for this.”
“The article reveals more about Minaj, her attorneys, and TMZ than about Ms. Hough,” the statement concludes. “We do not support any form of bullying, perpetuating falsehoods, or otherwise victim-shaming. Ms. Hough appreciates that Minaj provides a preview of the arguments she intends to make with the media, hoping those will play out better before the court of public opinion than they will before a Court.”
