Nicki Minaj Detained in An an unexpected turn of events, superstar rapper Nicki Minaj was detained in Amsterdam on Saturday while en route to perform in Manchester, England. The incident occurred as part of her highly anticipated Pink Friday 2 World Tour, leaving fans and the music industry in shock.
The “Super Bass” rapper captured the tense interaction with Amsterdam officials on Instagram Live, a video that quickly spread across social media after being reposted by fans. In the clip, an official is heard accusing Minaj of “carrying drugs.” Despite Minaj’s firm denials, the authorities insisted on taking her into custody.
“I’m not going in there. I need a lawyer present,” Minaj, 41, is heard saying as authorities repeatedly ask her to step into a vehicle and cease recording the encounter.
Minaj was scheduled to perform at Manchester’s Co-Op Live on Saturday night. During the video, another officer acknowledges the concert and mentions efforts to ensure she could still make it to the show. However, the situation escalated when an officer confirmed she was under arrest, providing no further explanation.
The clip concludes with Minaj reluctantly getting into the police van. At the time of reporting, it remained unclear whether she had been officially booked at a police station. A spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee military police told TMZ that an American woman had been arrested for possessing “soft drugs,” but declined to confirm her identity or specify the type of drugs involved.
Following the incident, promoter Live Nation announced that Minaj’s Manchester performance would be rescheduled, and original tickets would be honored. “Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible,” said Live Nation. “We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”
After reportedly “sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours,” Minaj took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night to update her fans. She assured them that a new date for the Manchester show would be announced soon, mentioning potential dates in June and July. “I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a tkt for this show. Promise,” she wrote.
Minaj also invited local fans to visit her at her hotel. “Barbz, I’m going on the balcony so if you’re outside I’ll be able to see you & I may come downstairs,” she posted. “I’ll be out there for about an hour. Rlly wanted to at least get to see you. But if you’re in bed plz STAY THERE.”
In another video shared on Saturday, Minaj revealed an airport official informing her that authorities needed to search her bags. “Now they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls,” she wrote on X, noting that her plane was delayed by several hours. Minaj pointed out that her security had claimed ownership of the marijuana, which is legal in Amsterdam, and expressed frustration over her bags being taken without consent.
Minaj suggested on Instagram that her Pink Friday 2 tour might be facing deliberate disruptions. “They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show,” she wrote. “They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they’re waiting on customs. This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they’ve done is illegal.”
The incident sparked an outpouring of support from her fans, known as the Barbz, who took to social media with the hashtag “#FREENICKI” trending on X.
Billboard has reached out to Minaj’s representatives for further comment, and the situation continues to develop.
Minaj’s detainment and the subsequent postponement of her Manchester concert mark a significant disruption in her Pink Friday 2 World Tour. Fans eagerly await further updates and hope for a swift resolution that will allow the tour to continue without further issues.
