Claim:
Kenneth Petty, the husband of rapper Nicki Minaj, is a registered sex offender.
Rating:
In late December 2025, the conservative non-profit group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) held its yearly conference in Phoenix, Arizona. During the event, TPSUA CEO Erika Kirk, the wife of the organization’s slain co-founder, Charlie Kirk, brought a special guest on stage — the rapper Nicki Minaj.
The viral appearance sparked intense discussion on platforms like X, with some fans expressing surprise about Minaj’s appearance at a pointedly political event. Some detractors, however, didn’t seem surprised. They claimed that Minaj’s husband was a registered sex offender and often compared those actions to long-standing accusations of sexual misconduct brought against U.S. President Donald Trump.
Snopes investigated the claim about Minaj’s husband and found it was true.
According to People magazine, Minaj met her now-husband, Kenneth Petty, while both were attending LaGuardia High School in New York City. After briefly dating, the two reportedly parted ways and did not reconnect until 2018. They married in October 2019 and had a child together the following year.Â
Snopes checked the national sex offender registry for Petty’s name. We found results in both California and New York state. Petty was convicted on a charge of attempted first-degree rape in April 1995, according to the New York registry. He was 16 at the time of the crime, the same age as his victim.
According to a 2021 New York Times article, the victim claimed Petty “had raped her after leading her into a home at knife point.” That story detailed the victim’s lawsuit against Minaj and Petty for allegedly harassing and attempting to intimidate her with the goal of recanting her accusation.
In 2022, the BBC reported that Petty had been sentenced to one year of house arrest for not informing authorities when he moved to California to live with Minaj in 2019, something required by law because he is a registered sex offender. After initially pleading not guilty to the registration charge in 2020, Petty changed his plea.
According to People magazine, Petty also pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for killing a man in 2002. He reportedly was sentenced to 10 years in prison, ultimately serving seven before his release in 2013.
Sources
“Everything to Know About Nicki Minaj’s New Husband Kenneth ‘Zoo’ Petty.” People.Com, https://people.com/music/nicki-minaj-new-boyfriend-kenneth-zoo-petty-everything-to-know/. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
Jacobs, Julia. “Nicki Minaj and Husband Sued, Accused of Harassing Sexual Assault Victim.” The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/arts/music/nicki-minaj-kenneth-petty-lawsuit.html.
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Kenneth Petty Sentenced to One-Year House Arrest. 7 July 2022. www.bbc.com, https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-62077020.
Siddiqui, Usaid. “Turning Point USA Held Its AmericaFest Conference. Here’s What Happened.” Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/22/turning-point-usa-held-its-americafest-conference-heres-what-happened. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
Vanderhoof, Erin. “Nicki Minaj Has a MAGA Coming Out Party With Erika Kirk at AmericaFest.” Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 2025, https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/nicki-minaj-maga-erika-kirk-at-americafest.
“Who Is Nicki Minaj’s Husband? What to Know About Kenneth Petty.” People.Com, https://people.com/kenneth-petty-nicki-minaj-husband-what-to-know-11874409. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
