Nicki Minaj Challenges Former Employee’s $3,900 Court Request in Ongoing Assault Lawsuit

October 25, 2026 | Mr. Hella Media

Nicki Minaj is pushing back against a request for approximately $3,900 in court-related expenses filed by a former employee who accused the rapper of physically assaulting him backstage during her Pink Friday 2 World Tour.

The legal dispute involves Brandon Garrett, a former member of Minaj’s touring team who filed a civil lawsuit against the Grammy-nominated rapper and her company in January 2025. Garrett alleges that Minaj struck him during a confrontation following her April 2024 concert in Detroit, Michigan.

Minaj has denied the allegations through her representatives, and the lawsuit remains a contested civil matter.

The latest disagreement concerns Garrett’s effort to recover expenses associated with the litigation. Although the amount is relatively small compared with the damages potentially at stake in the underlying lawsuit, the dispute illustrates how the case continues to generate additional legal proceedings more than two years after the alleged backstage incident.

Nicki Minaj’s Lawyers Say the $3,900 Request Is No Longer Justified

According to court filings reported by MyNewsLA on October 23, Minaj’s attorneys are asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eric Harmon to reject Garrett’s request for monetary sanctions and an order compelling additional responses to written questions.

Garrett is seeking $3,900 to cover legal expenses he says were incurred because Minaj failed to provide adequate information during the discovery process, the stage of a lawsuit when both sides exchange evidence and answer formal questions.

Minaj’s attorneys dispute that characterization.

In documents filed Thursday, October 22, her legal team argued that the rapper had already provided substantive responses to six sets of written questions in July. They also said attorneys for both sides met in August and that additional responses were supplied in September.

The defense maintains that those developments made Garrett’s earlier request unnecessary.

Minaj’s attorneys also contend that Garrett missed the applicable deadline to challenge the updated responses, providing a separate reason for the judge to reject his motion.

The dispute is scheduled for a hearing on November 10.

Former Employee Accuses Minaj of Delaying the Legal Process

Garrett’s attorneys have presented a different account of how the discovery dispute developed.

According to their filings, Minaj missed an initial deadline in February 2026 to respond to written questions about the alleged assault.

Garrett’s legal team says it granted the rapper an additional week after receiving a request from her attorneys, but did not receive responses until March 6.

Even then, Garrett’s lawyers argued, the answers were inadequate.

They accused Minaj of relying on generalized legal objections rather than providing meaningful factual information.

The questions included requests for Minaj to explain the basis for denying that she threatened Garrett’s safety and to identify facts supporting her position regarding his alleged emotional distress and lost wages.

Garrett’s attorneys contend that the responses interfered with their ability to prepare the lawsuit and forced them to incur additional legal expenses.

Those accusations are disputed by Minaj’s legal team, which argues that the later responses addressed the outstanding issues.

The judge has not yet determined whether either side violated the applicable discovery rules.

Lawsuit Stems From Alleged Backstage Confrontation in Detroit

The underlying lawsuit concerns an incident Garrett claims occurred on April 21, 2024, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

At the time, Minaj was traveling across North America on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, one of the largest concert tours of her career.

Garrett, who described himself as the rapper’s day-to-day manager, alleges that he was summoned to her dressing room after a performance.

According to the complaint, Minaj was upset about how responsibilities were being handled among members of her touring staff.

The disagreement allegedly intensified when Minaj learned that Garrett had asked another employee to retrieve her prescription medication.

Garrett claims he delegated the assignment because he was occupied with other responsibilities, including helping the rapper prepare for the performance.

He alleges that Minaj became angry, verbally confronted him and eventually struck him in the face.

According to his account, the alleged blow caused his hat to fall off and injured his wrist.

Garrett further claims that he retreated to a bathroom afterward because he feared for his safety.

These allegations have not been proven in court.

Garrett Is Seeking Damages for Assault, Battery and Emotional Distress

Garrett filed his civil complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court in January 2025, naming both Minaj and her company, Pink Personality Inc.

The lawsuit includes claims of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He alleges that the backstage encounter caused physical injuries, emotional suffering and financial consequences related to his employment.

Garrett is seeking damages to be determined through the legal process, including compensation for his alleged injuries and other losses.

His request for $3,900 is separate from those damages. It concerns legal expenses associated with the dispute over written discovery responses, not compensation for the alleged assault itself.

That distinction is important because the latest court filing does not determine whether Minaj assaulted Garrett. It concerns whether her responses to legal questions were sufficient and whether she should reimburse Garrett for the costs of pursuing additional information.

Nicki Minaj Has Denied the Assault Allegations

When Garrett’s lawsuit first became public in January 2025, Minaj’s attorney at the time, Judd Burstein, rejected the accusations.

Burstein described the reported lawsuit as “completely false and frivolous” and expressed confidence that the case would be resolved in Minaj’s favor.

The rapper has not admitted wrongdoing in connection with the alleged backstage confrontation.

Her latest filing continues that legal defense by challenging Garrett’s request for additional discovery and monetary sanctions.

The parties remain divided over both the underlying allegations and the procedural issues that have developed during the lawsuit.

Detroit Prosecutors Previously Declined a Criminal Warrant Request

The alleged incident also prompted a separate review by law enforcement officials in Michigan.

On January 6, 2025, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had reviewed a warrant request involving Minaj and Garrett.

Prosecutors declined the request, citing insufficient evidence to establish that a crime had been committed.

The office also requested additional investigation from the Detroit Police Department.

That decision did not constitute a finding that Garrett’s allegations were false, nor did it resolve his civil lawsuit.

Criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits involve different legal standards. A prosecutor’s decision not to authorize criminal charges does not automatically prevent someone from pursuing civil claims.

The civil case has therefore continued in Los Angeles despite the earlier decision by Michigan prosecutors.

November 10 Hearing Could Determine Whether Minaj Must Pay

The next significant development is expected on November 10, when Judge Eric Harmon is scheduled to consider the competing arguments over discovery.

Garrett’s attorneys want the court to require more complete answers and order Minaj to pay $3,900 in legal expenses.

Minaj’s lawyers argue that the requested information has already been supplied and that the motion should be rejected as outdated and untimely.

The judge could decide whether additional responses are required, whether monetary sanctions are appropriate or whether the procedural dispute has effectively been resolved.

However, the hearing is not scheduled to determine whether the alleged backstage assault occurred.

That question remains part of the broader civil lawsuit.

For Minaj, the latest filing represents an effort to limit additional legal costs and challenge Garrett’s accusations that her team has obstructed the discovery process. For Garrett, the dispute concerns obtaining the information he believes is necessary to pursue his claims.

More than two years after the alleged Detroit confrontation, the case remains unresolved, with both sides continuing to contest the evidence and the procedures governing the lawsuit.

The next court hearing is scheduled for November 10, 2026.