Jennifer Hough Speaks Out in The Real Daytime Interview

Victim of Sexual Assault by Kenneth Petty and Harassment by His Wife, Nicki Minaj, Shares Her Story

In 1994, Kenneth Petty was charged with first-degree rape and sentenced to four years for assaulting Jennifer Hough. Facing ridicule and harassment for reporting Petty, Hough had to leave New York. In 2018, Nicki Minaj popped out with her new boyfriend/mystery man, Kenneth Petty. Curious as to who he was, fans and blogs frantically google searched him and found his extensive rap sheet. What we saw as just a red flag on behalf of Minaj, was nerve-racking and anxiety-inducing for Hough. In her lawsuit filed against the Pettys, she claims that the harassment from the Petty's and their associates started in 2020 as an attempt to get her to recant her statement/claims about her assault so that Kenneth Petty wouldn't have to register as a sex offender.

Jennifer Hough making an appearance on a national platform is important. It was an opportunity for her to debunk the misinformation that Minaj had worked to spread not only on Instagram but on her radio show "Queen Radio". The biggest piece of misinformation that Minaj worked to spread, in defense of her husband, was that Hough was a white woman. This lie is not only disgusting but dangerous because of the history of sexuality and race in this country. Unfortunately, there have been times when white women could accuse Black men of assault and get away with it. It was one of the worst crimes you could be accused of because it had violent consequences. Minaj even lied about her husband's age when he committed the assault. In 1994, a 15-year-old can not be charged as an adult. It's not difficult to fact-check every lie that Minaj has put out about her husband, besides lying about Hough's race.

The Petty's offenses speak to a much large issue within the hip-hop and Black community. While it's easy to zero in on Nicki Minaj and make her the face of rape apologists, just holding her accountable isn't enough. People have and are protecting predators despite the backlash Minaj is getting. Hopefully, Hough's bravery inspires more people to come forward with their stories so that Hip-Hop can receive the cleansing it needs.