The ongoing legal battle involving Kenneth Petty, husband to rapper Nicki Minaj, and Jennifer Hough, who accused Petty of sexual assault, has taken a new turn as attempts at a settlement through mediation have failed. As AllHipHop.com reported last December, Petty was ordered to mediate with Hough over the ongoing lawsuit in which she claimed that he harassed her to recant in an attempt to get off the National Sex Offender Registry. Hough claimed that she was offered $500,000 to drop the case and that Minaj and Petty hired private investigators to track her down, harass her daughter, and forced her to move between states due to fear for her life​. Petty missed the initial court-ordered mediation sessions, citing illness as the reason for his non-attendance​. However, he was well enough to attend a recent session, but no progress was made. “We participated in private mediation, but unfortunately, we were unable to reach a settlement,” said Tyrone Blackburn, the lawyer for Jennifer Hough.  This statement indicates that the case may now be heading to trial – and this lawsuit has been marked by significant contention.  Jennifer Hough initially included Minaj in the suit, claiming that the rapper participated in efforts to intimidate her. However, those charges against Minaj were eventually dropped.  Nicki Minaj’s legal team then attempted to sanction Hough’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, over what they called “wild accusations.” These included claims that Minaj and Petty were members of a New York gang, the Makk Baller Brims, and allegations of cyberstalking behavior by Minaj’s legal team​​. Despite these accusations, a judge ruled against Nicki Minaj’s request for sanctions, stating that the actions of Blackburn, while potentially offensive, did not warrant a penalty. The court also reminded Blackburn of the higher standard of conduct expected of him during these proceedings​. The stakes of this case are high for Petty, who was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995 and was sentenced to over four years in prison for the charge.  He later pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in 2021 when he moved to Los Angeles but never notified local authorities of his new living conditions, which was a stipulation of his sentencing.   Petty got one year of home confinement and three years of probation.  While Nicki Minaj was dropped from the lawsuit, she claimed that the ordeal subjected her to negative publicity and cost her over $300,000 in defense expenses.  With mediation proving unsuccessful, all eyes are on the courtroom as the possibility of a trial looms​​.