Jennifer Hough, who claims she was sexually assaulted as a teen by Nicki Minaj’s now-husband Kenneth Petty, says she felt betrayed when the rap superstar defended him on social media.
In 2018, Minaj downplayed what happened in 1994 by claiming “he was 15, she was 16… in a relationship.”
Appearing on an episode of The Real that aired Wednesday, Hough opened up about how the comment made her feel. “It was like reliving it again because it was a lie. It wasn’t true,” she said. “We both were 16. We were never in a relationship.
“It just felt, woman to woman, that was wrong of her … That hurt coming from another woman.”
Petty was charged with first-degree rape but pleaded guilty to attempted rape and served four-and-a-half years in prison. He was required to register as a sex offender.
Last month, Hough sued Petty and Minaj, alleging that the couple has been harassing her to recant her story. She claims Minaj called her and offered to fly her to Los Angeles if she would sign a statement taking back her allegations against Petty.
According to the lawsuit, associates of the couple offered Hough various amounts of money – up to $500,000 – if she agreed to change her story.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and reps for Petty and Minaj have not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
On The Real – where she was accompanied by her lawyer – Hough said she was speaking up because she is “tired of being afraid.”
Hough recalled her claim that Petty lured her into a house on Sept. 16, 1994 and sexually assaulted her. She said she hit him with a bottle and ran to her school, where a security guard called police.
“We were never in a relationship. Ever,” said Hough. “We never had no type of romantic anything … I just knew him from the neighbourhood.”
She said family members pressured her to drop the charges – something she told a judge in open court at one appearance. “I never said it didn’t happen. I just said I want to drop the charges.”
Asked if Petty’s sentence felt like justice, Hough replied: “I don’t think I thought about justice per se because I was still blaming myself. I thought it was something that I did or didn’t do so I don’t think I thought about if I got justice.
“I just knew he did what he did and he went to jail.”
Reps for Petty and Minaj did not provide a statement to The Real and did not immediately respond publicly to Hough’s appearance on the show.
Minaj married Petty in October 2019 and the couple welcomed a son last September.
Jennifer Hough, the woman suing Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty over allegations including witness intimidation and harassment, opens up about the lawsuit and speaks out on being pressured to recant her statement about her 1994 sexual assault. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/RtF5md9aFw
— The Real (@TheRealDaytime) September 22, 2021
Jennifer Hough, the woman suing Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty over allegations including witness intimidation and harassment, opens up about the lawsuit and speaks out on being pressured to recant her statement about her 1994 sexual assault. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/6q1JRLpiws
— The Real (@TheRealDaytime) September 22, 2021