What happened to Nicki Minaj? Swatting incident and child abuse controversy explained 

Nicki Minaj, the Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter, recently fell victim to a swatting call prank. As it happened, on June 5, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) received an anonymous call that said that the 2-year-old son of Queen and Red Ruby Da Sleaze, famed rapper, was being abused at her LA home.

As a result, the LAPD sheriff’s officials wasted no time and stormed into the superstar’s mansion around 6 pm. On the same day, only a few hours later, another unidentified caller falsely claimed that her house was up in flames.

Yes, two prank calls in a single day! Following the incidents and initial investigation, the LAPD authorities concluded the TROLLZ singer was subjected to a “swatting” call.

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Nicki Minaj’s toddler is safe and sound

Not only did the prankster(s) contact the cops, but they also informed the child services after reporting that Nicki Minaj’s 2-year-old son, who is fondly called “Papa Bear” by her and her husband, Kenneth Petty, was a victim of child abuse at his own home. Fortunately, no harm was done to the toddler, as was revealed after a thorough examination.

Moreover, both Minaj and her husband were questioned by the local police department at the scene, but it was revealed that none of them had any idea about what was going on. Incidentally, while Nicki Minaj was away, her husband was home with the baby boy.

At present, an active investigation is being carried out by the LAPD to find out the perpetrators following which the 40-year-old Nicki Minaj has sought legal action against them.

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Here’s what swatting means

For those wondering what swatting means, it refers to the action of making an illegitimate emergency call to the police (as part of an elaborate prank) so as to have a large police response, such as a SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team dispatched to the location; hence the name!

Usually, here’s how it happens. The prankster makes a 911 call with the local law enforcement and wrongly claims that a serious crime is happening nearby, posing immediate threat to people and property.

The result is of course the arrival of SWAT in the said location, alongside other first responders such as paramedics and fire department. But they end up discovering that nothing serious was going on, and all their efforts and resources go in vain; that could have otherwise been used to stop real-world crimes.

Fortunately, this time around, Nicki Minaj and her family are safe and sound, and the swatting led to no serious incidents.

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Other swatting victims in recent times

This is not the first time celebrities, influencers and even politicians have been swatted in the USA. For instance, in May 2023, former White House advisor and Steve Bannon’s Washington D.C. home was swatted when a false 911 call was made about a shooting. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time the right-wing activist was targeted. In July 2022 too, a similar incident was reported.

Likewise, Rihanna too was swatted almost a decade back when an anonymous prank call was made saying two armed men were trying to invade her California mansion. Popular YouTuber Adin Ross and social media influencer Madison Beer was also swatting victims recently. Looks like Nicki Minaj is not alone!

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