Jennifer Hough, the woman that is suing Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty over alleged “harassment” and “witness intimidation,” has spoken out on camera for the very first time. Jennifer, as well as her lawyer Tyrone Blackburn, appeared on The Real on Wednesday, Sept. 22, and opened up about her case against Nicki, 38, and Kenneth, who was convicted in 1995 for the first-degree attempted rape of then-16-year-old Jennifer. Kenneth, 43, served four years in prison and registered as a sex offender, and Jennifer never spoke publicly about the ordeal. But in August, she filed a lawsuit against the couple and claimed they tried to force her to recant the rape.
Now, Jennifer is ready to share her side of the story. “I’m tired of being afraid,” she told The Real co-hosts Garcelle Beauvais and Adrienne Bailon Houghton. “I feel like the actions that were taken in regards to this whole situation have put me in a different type of fear, at my age now and it was wrong. And I don’t want to be afraid anymore. So, the only way not to be afraid is to continue to speak up,” Jennifer said.
When asked if she though “justice was served” since Kenneth spent years in jail for the rape, Jennifer said, “I don’t think I thought about justice, per se, because I was still blaming myself. I just knew he did what he did, and he went to jail and I had to leave my family, I had to leave my home and I had to move away. So, I never really gave it much thought.” She also shared how she’s been affected emotionally by the entire ordeal, saying, “Hiding, within myself. Living and surviving through insecurities. Using them to protect myself, thinking that if I don’t look a certain way, I won’t attract a certain type of attention. I’ve been like that my whole life.”
Jennifer also explained that she “was so afraid of being found out” after Kenneth and Nicki tied the knot in October 2019. “I was so afraid of being known as the person he violated, and I didn’t want that. You know, it’s Nicki Minaj,” she said. And speaking of the “Super Bass” rapper, Jennifer revealed that she had actually spoke to Nicki directly once over the phone in March 2020. “She called me and she said that she got word that I was willing to help them out in a situation. I didn’t understand what she was referring to. She offered to fly me and my family to LA. I turned it down. And I told her, woman to woman, this really happened. And I hadn’t spoken to her since,” Jennifer claimed.
Jennifer’s interview continued with her explaining to the co-hosts how Nicki and Kenneth allegedly harassed her to keep quiet about the rape. “With them sending people to negotiate numbers as far as money is concerned with family members. And Nicki is the one who personally reached out to me, in regards to helping her, helping them in this situation,” she said. “And then the threats that I received because I kept saying no to every offer, to every suggestion. The last incident was when one of their associates put $20,000 dollars on my lap. And I still kept saying no. The last message I received was that I should have taken the money because they’re going to use that money to put on my head,” added Jennifer.
In the final clip from the emotional chat, Adrienne asked Jennifer and her lawyer what they’re “wanting to come” from the lawsuit against Nicki and Kenneth. Jennifer responded, “To let them know that they were wrong. You can’t do this to people. He did something a long time ago and he had consequences that he was supposed to stick with. What they did to me and my family wasn’t ok. It wasn’t right and it doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what your status is, you can’t intimidate people to make things go better for you. And that’s what they did.”
Jennifer’s interview comes after Kenneth pled guilty on Sept. 9th to failing to register as a sex offender in California. His status as a sex offender stems from a 1995 rape conviction. Kenneth faces a maximum 10-year sentence in federal prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross loss resulting from the offense. However, if he receives the minimum penalty at his Jan. 24, 2022 sentencing hearing, he could face as little as a five-year period of supervised release and a $100 court assessment fee.
Nicki has been standing by her husband amid his ongoing legal troubles. They share a son, who turns 1 on Sept. 30. HollywoodLife has previously reached out to Nicki’s rep for a comment, but we have yet to receive a response.