Twitter is denying it took any action against Nicki Minaj over her tweet Monday that falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines can cause impotence and “swollen testicles.”
In an Instagram Story on Wednesday, the rap star claimed she “in Twitter jail y’all” because the platform “didn’t like what I was saying over there on that block, I guess.”
Minaj claimed: “My poll was gonna be ‘Asking questions is OK/I like being fking dumb.’ Then boom. Can’t tweet.”
Twitter said in a statement that it “did not take any enforcement action” against Minaj.
The rapper came under fire by health experts and politicians after tweeting on Monday: “My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”
In addition to being widely debunked – including by the Trinidad and Tobago health minister – Minaj’s tweet provided fodder for memes and late night comedians.
On Wednesday, Minaj also said she was invited to the White House to talk about COVID-19 vaccines. “The White House has invited me & I think it’s a step in the right direction. Yes, I’m going. I’ll be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business. I’ll ask questions on behalf of the ppl who have been made fun of for simply being human,” she tweeted.
According to White House officials, though, Minaj doesn’t need to dress up. “As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” they said in a statement.