Nicki Minaj is facing legal action brought by a jeweler who claims the rapper refused to pay for damage to some pieces she borrowed. A West Hollywood jeweler claims he lent Minaj some jewelry for an appearance via her stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, according to TMZ. The stylist agreed to return the bling on time and be responsible for any damage to the items while in his possession.
However, the jeweler claims the items weren’t returned on time and when he did get his goods back, there was some noticeable damage. He claims two of the 66 borrowed items came back with defects to a pair of earrings and leaf ring.
A source from Nicki Minaj’s camp denied the claims, insisting the pieces were sent back on schedule. Furthermore, the source argues the store had the items for some time before complaining about a missing stone.
Nonetheless, Roseark Jewelers invoiced Nelson for the damage to the tune of $26,239.50 plus interest. However, despite repeated attempts to collect a payment, the store says the debt remains unpaid, and now they’re pursuing Nicki Minaj and the stylist in court.
Minaj’s legal team, however, is dismissing the lawsuit as a publicity stunt.
“We have not been presented with any evidence that any of the jewelry at issue was damaged by Nicki,” attorney Jordan Siev explained. “This lawsuit appears to be nothing more than an ordinary insurance claim by the jeweler designed to generate publicity for itself and extract a payment to which it is not entitled. We will defend the lawsuit vigorously.”
Meanwhile, in other Nicki Minaj news, “OMGNICKI” was still trending on Twitter a day after the NYC native announced a release date for her long-awaited fifth studio album.