Jennifer Hough and Nicki Minaj.Photo: The Real Daytime/Youtube; getty
“The case against Nicki was voluntarily dismissed. The case against Kenneth Petty is still ongoing. Stay tuned!” Hough’s lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, tells PEOPLE.TMZwas first to report the news.
Now, the “Starships” rapper, 39, plans to fight for money lost in legal fees.
“Your conduct in pursuing this case against Nicki represents the worst of our legal system: bottom-feeding lawyers who pursue frivolous actions against a celebrity assuming that they will be paid off if they throw up enough dirt,” he wrote.
Bernstein added, “It is just the beginning of Nicki’s and my efforts to make you pay for your disgraceful conduct with both money and, if the Court recommends it, disciplinary sanctions.”
Petty was convicted for the first-degree attempted rape in 1995. He was sentenced to 18 to 54 months, but spent four years in prison.
Hough’s lawsuit also accused the couple of intentional infliction of emotional distress and alleged sexual assault and battery, referring to the 1994 incident.
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty.Gotham/GC Images
“I felt like the actions that were taken in regards to this whole situation, have put me in a different type of fear at my age now,” Hough said. “It was wrong. And I don’t want to be afraid anymore, so the only way not to be afraid is to continue to speak up.”
As for what she hoped would come from her lawsuit, which asked for $500,000, Hough said she wanted the Pettys to know that “they were wrong” and that “you can’t do this to people.”
“He did something a long time ago and he had consequences that he was supposed to stick with. What they did to me and my family wasn’t OK,” she said. “It wasn’t right and it doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what your status is, you can’t intimidate people to make things go better for you. And that’s what they did.”
As she wiped away tears, Hough told the story of the day Petty allegedly led her to a house and raped her.
“Before you know it, he was grabbing a hold of my jacket,” she said. “I felt something in my back so I just assumed there was a gun. And I started walking. And I’m pleading with him the whole way, trying to understand what he wants.”
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Hough said they walked up the steps of a house and Petty allegedly told her she “knew what he wanted” as she attempted to fight back.
“All I could do was hold my pants as tight as I can,” she said. “I didn’t know why it didn’t dawn on me to like really fight. I just held on to my pants and he held my arms down and squeezed the sides of my stomach so hard. I let go and as soon as I let go he grabbed my pants. It was like a tug of war and after a while I just got tired.”
After he allegedly raped her, “he stood in the mirror and beat his chest. He said, ‘I am the man. I’m the man,'” she said as she wiped away tears.
Hough found a way to escape and ran to school where she informed a security guard of what had allegedly happened. The school then called the police and he was taken out of the home in handcuffs and she was transported to the hospital.
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Petty is a level tworegistered offenderin New York, which means he’s considered a “moderate risk of repeat offense.”
In September, PEOPLE confirmed he pleaded guilty during a virtual hearing. He now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
Petty’s sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 24, 2022.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
Jeff Nelson
source: people.com
