The woman suing Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, accused him of refusing to appear for a deposition as part of their never-ending court battle, In Touch can exclusively reveal.
According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Jennifer Hough, the victim involved in the criminal case brought against Kenneth, 46, that led to him being convicted of attempted rape in 1995, asked the judge presiding over her civil lawsuit to step in.
In 2021, Jennifer brought a lawsuit against Nicki, 41 and Kenneth for intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment and witness intimidation.
Jennifer brought additional claims against Kenneth over the 1994 incident that led to his 1995 conviction.
She accused the two of trying to convince her to recant her allegations about Kenneth. Kenneth served four years in prison after being convicted of first-degree attempted rape. TMZ reported that court documents showed Kenneth was accused of using a sharp object to try to force Jennifer to have 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual intercourse.
After being released, Kenneth was convicted of first-degree manslaughter, according to TMZ. The outlet said he served seven years and was released in 2013.
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Accused of Blowing Off Deposition, Accuser Pleads for Help in Court Battle
Nicki and Kenneth sparked dating rumors when they started hanging out in 2018. After his criminal history went viral, Nicki wrote on social media, “He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship. But go awf, internet. y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo.”
Despite the backlash over the relationship, Nicki wed Kenneth in 2019. They welcomed their son a year later.
In her lawsuit, Jennifer said after Nicki and Kenneth started dating, the rapper started making public comments that her husband was “wrongfully accused” and suggested the victim had recanted her story back in the day.
Jennifer denied she ever recanted her story.
In March 2020, after Kenneth was arrested for failing to register as a 𝓈ℯ𝓍 offender when he moved to California with Nicki, Jennifer said Nicki called her.
Jennifer claimed Nicki offered to fly her out to Los Angeles if she would help Kenneth out by speaking out in favor him. The accuser said she turned down the offer.
Days later, she said her family “suffered an onslaught of harassing calls and unsolicited visits.”
Jennifer said her brother received an offer from an associate of Nicki who offered $500,000 for her to recant her claims. On top of that, she claimed Nicki had lawyers show up to her home, adding pressure to the mix.
The alleged victim said she had to move out of fear for her safety. Nicki and Kenneth denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The rapper denied she reached out to Jennifer and said Jennifer was the one who first contacted her — and it was after she claims she was forced to move due to harassment.
Further, Nicki argued Jennifer’s story about the alleged $500,000 offer had changed over time. Jennifer dismissed all claims against Nicki in early 2022.
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Accused of Blowing Off Deposition, Accuser Pleads for Help in Court Battle
However, the case remains against Kenneth. In her new letter to the judge, Jennifer claimed she sat for a six-and-a-half hour deposition on July 9.
Her lawyer said, “Toward the end of the deposition, [Kenneth’s] Counsel began harassing [Jennifer] with questions that were wholly inappropriate and unrelated to this case. Counsel for [Kenneth] was asking [Jennifer] questions concerning whether [Jennifer] colluded with the federal government. After [Jennifer] said no to multiple variations of this question, [Kenneth’]s Counsel began questioning [Jennifer] about her thoughts on Hollywood movies and began questioning her about either the Spider or Batman movies.”
Jennifer’s lawyer said “after several warnings to move on from this pointless and harassing line of questioning,” he ended the deposition.
As a result, Jennifer’s lawyer said Kenneth’s team refused to present him for his scheduled deposition on July 16. “This is the third time [Kenneth] has adjourned or refused to appear for a deposition. Time after time, Counsel for Defendant Steven Issner came up with excuse after excuse to delay the [Jennifer’s] right to depose [Kenneth].”
Jennifer asked for permission to file a motion to compel Kenneth appear for a deposition in the case.
At the moment, Kenneth is on probation after being sentenced for failing to register as a 𝓈ℯ𝓍 offender when he moved.