Nicki Minaj was a trending Twitter topic on Monday (September 13) after she revealed she previously had COVID-19 but was also unwilling to get vaccinated to attend the Met Gala, claiming she needed to do more “research.” She also noted traveling would put her at a higher risk for catching COVID-19, which she wouldn’t want to pass to her young son.

“They want you to get vaccinated for the Met,” she wrote. “If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one.”

The backlash was swift, with one commenter writing, “Nobody is doing their own research. All you’re doing is finding someone to corroborate what you already believe. Unless you’re a scientist, running a peer reviewed study, you only know what you’ve been told by someone else. You don’t have better access to data than the CDC. You have Google and a flimsy grasp of science or logic.

AD

AD LOADING...

“Give me a break with this ‘I did my own research’ bullshit. We have experts for a reason. You don’t know how anything works, let alone the human body at a cellular level. You don’t even know how your radio works, let alone the internet.”

Nicki Minaj later explained her Trinidadian cousin had a friend who became impotent after getting the vaccine, which deterred him from going down the same road.

AD

AD LOADING...

“My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”

With that, “Not Nicki” also began to trend as people struggled with the Queen’s stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

AD

AD LOADING...

“Not Nicki being anti-vax cause her cousin’s friend got an STD and lied saying it was due to the vaccine,” one person wrote, while another said, “Do my own research” people: There’s a difference between ANECDOTES and research. Facebook is not research. A thirdhand story from Nicki Minaj’s cousin is not research. Scientific research is peer reviewed and contains statistics. Oh why the fuck am I bothering? We are doomed.”

Nicki Minaj Reveals She Had COVID-19 Which Cratered Her MTV VMAs Appearance

As additional topics such as “Onika” and “Barbz” started to trend as well, people marveled at the Barbz’s perceived inability to defend her statements. But Nicki remained adamant her comments were being taken out of context. She later tweeted she would likely have to get vaccinated to tour.

AD

AD LOADING...

“A lot of countries won’t let ppl work w/o the vaccine,” she said. “I’d def recommend they get the vaccine. They have to feed their families. I’m sure I’ll b vaccinated as well cuz I have to go on tour, etc.”

Even so, there were no shortage of comments wondering where some of the typically diehard Barbz were to defend Nicki.

Check a few of them out below.