Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty
Nicki Minaj exposed a journalist who was harassing her family for an interview over comments she made on social media about the COVID-19 vaccine causing alarming side effects. On her Instagram story, she posted screenshots of a text thread between her family member and a reporter who claimed to be from Guardian Media named Sharlene Rampersad.
In the thread, Rampersad was asking for an interview to discuss what Minaj had said about how a friend of her family member struggled with impotency and swollen testicles after being vaccinated. Rampersad was being warm at first when requesting an interview with the friend but when she didn’t get a response, she sent threatening messages.
“But just letting you know, CNN is in the country looking for you,” Rampersad wrote. “And when they find you, they won’t hesitate to reveal where you live or where your gf lives…anything and anyone who is tied to you. If you speak to me, we won’t reveal those details. So what do you say?”
“Threatening my family in Trinidad won’t bode well for you,” Minaj wrote on her Instagram story with a winking emoji.
The “No Frauds” rapper went on to express her frustration about her family being brought into this mess.
“I was done discussing this s***,” she tweeted. “Why are they contacting my family? Control. I kept my mouth shut when the Trinidadian health officials spoke on my name b/c I don’t want to do this to them. What I know & can say is weighing very heavy on me. #BallGate.”
Rampersad hasn’t commented publicly but has retweeted an official statement from Guardian Media that claimed she has been receiving death threats since Minaj posted her texts. In their statement, the company stated that Rampersad has been “subject to a range of attacks via social media including death threats” and they denounced “intimidation of journalists in any form.”
“The use of aggression on social media to intimidate can have adverse physical and psychological effects on people,” the statement read. “As a responsible media house, we encourage others to stand up against this type of behavior as we can all make a difference in addressing this global challenge posed by the pervasive nature of social media.”
This all started when Minaj began tweeting about why she didn’t attend this year’s Met Gala over the vaccination requirement. She then shared that her cousin was hesitant to get it as well after their friend claimed he was suffering from impotency and swollen testicles after being vaccinated.
“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent,” Minaj tweeted. “His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”
She was then accused of sending out misinformation about the vaccine and was criticized and dismissed by Joy Reid, Anthony Fauci and Trinidad’s Health minister Terrence Deyalsingh.
