Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty must participate in mediation with his rape accuser Jennifer Hough, who filed a lawsuit against him.
via: Vibe
In 2021, Hough filed a lawsuit against Petty, citing infliction of emotional distress, harassment and witness intimidation. However, Judge James R. Cho has referred the case go to mediation in hopes of the two parties reaching a settlement.
“Parties to select a mediator by 12/20/2022 and complete mediation by 3/6/2023,” court documents, obtained by AllHipHop, state. “[They] may participate in the mediation remotely. [Both sides] shall file a joint status report two weeks after completing the mediation, but no later than 3/20/2023, whichever date is earlier.”
Hough had previously sued Minaj, accusing her of participating in the alleged harassment and intimidation. She also claims Minaj threatened her in an effort to get her to recant her allegations of Petty assaulting her when both were minors, which led to him being convicted of with first-degree attempted rape and serving nearly four years in prison.
Hough has since dropped her case against Minaj, who dodged a $20 million default judgement against her when Hough’s legal team claimed she failed to respond to the lawsuit.
“My failure to respond to the complaint was the product of an innocent mistake, and I ask the court to excuse the delay so that I can defend what I believe to be an entirely frivolous case,” Minaj wrote in a statement to the judge presiding over the case. Petty, who plead guilty to failing to register as a sex offender last year, has attempted to clear his name by arguing that he never got the opportunity to defend himself against those claims. Yet, according to the court, the statue of limitations in the case has passed, making his argument “meritless.”
Hough and Petty are scheduled to return to court for oral arguments in the case on January 6, 2023.
