Nicki Minaj opens up about past abuse
Nicki Minaj is opening up about her past experiences with domestic violence.
The rapper, 35, shared two clips on Instagram Tuesday from her upcoming Queen documentary, in which Minaj recalled incidents she witnessed as a child and lived through as an adult. “I remember when my mother would let my father be violent with her,” Minaj begins. “She always brings up this story. As a little girl, I would stand in front of my mother and go like this,” she said, spreading her arms apart in an attempt to create a barrier.
She said this is where her strength comes from: “Maybe some people would describe me as abrasive or (expletive) or whatever, because I vowed from that age no man would ever abuse me, call me out my name or treat me like that.”
A tearful Minaj then revealed her mantra was shattered during an abusive relationship. She didn’t disclose the name of her alleged abuser.
“And then all of a sudden, that was my life. Everything that I said I would never...” she trailed off as her voice cracked with emotion. Minaj said the relationship also affected her music because she was “scared to get in the studio” and didn’t “believe in myself.”
Her story took a turn for the better as she described finding herself again after “changing locations” and leaving the toxic environment. The documentary — which shares the name of her album (out now) and Beats 1 radio show — doesn’t have a release date yet, although Minaj teased it’s “coming soon.”