The operational stress on Minaj's career peaked in August 2021. Jennifer Hough, the victim from Petty's 1995 rape case, filed a federal civil lawsuit against both Petty and Minaj in the Eastern District of New York. Hough claimed the couple engaged in an aggressive campaign of intimidation, bribery, and harassment to force her to recant her rape accusation after Petty was arrested in California.
According to Hough's legal filings, intermediaries representing the couple offered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, sent unsolicited intermediaries to her home, and made implicit threats against her safety when she declined to sign an affidavit clearing Petty. Hough alleged she had to relocate multiple times out of fear for her personal safety.
Minaj's legal team mounted an aggressive defense, calling the claims a shakedown effort. In early 2022, Hough voluntarily dismissed Minaj from the core claims of direct harassment, though the legal battle continued against Petty directly. Petty repeatedly failed to respond to key civil court summons, leading judges to issue severe default judgments against him for statutory damages.
