Nicki Minaj and her attorney Judd Burstein are coming for attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who repped a woman named Jennifer Hough who accused Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty of sexual assault in a 2021 lawsuit, according to documents obtained by Billboard.
Nicki had previously been named in Hough’s lawsuit, with the woman accusing the rapper of intimidation and harassment. The Pinkprint lyricist reportedly spent $30,000 in legal fees to help defend herself against what she called a “frivolous” lawsuit which was then abruptly dropped in January without explanation.
Burstein referred to Blackburn as a “bottom feeder lawyer,” who dismissed the case against Minaj only after he had “forced” her to pay those legal fees. Minaj and Burstein are now seeking severe legal sanctions against him.
“Mr. Blackburn’s conduct in this case has been disgraceful,” Burstein wrote in a Monday filing. “He should be severely punished for it … so that, hopefully, other lawyers will understand that they have an obligation to their clients, the court, opposing counsel, and the legal profession itself not to pursue bad faith, frivolous, and indeed extortionate litigation in such a reprehensible manner.”
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Blackburn said in a statement to Billboard the sanctions request has no merit and is “baseless.”
The new filing also details accusations of misconduct against Blackburn, including that he falsely claimed in legal documents Minaj was a member of the Makk Baller Brims, a Queens gang. Burstein described the claim as “a bad faith effort to generate extremely negative media coverage.”
He also accused Blackburn of filing false claims against him and noted a letter on the public court docket that says Burstein had a “sick obsession” with the wife of Steven Gordon, one of Jennifer Hough’s former lawyers. Burstein said the claim is “designed solely to harass him and tar his reputation.”
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“No lawyer should be permitted to walk away unscathed after making an allegation of this kind – especially because Mr. Blackburn knew that it would find its way into the public domain due to the media and other attention paid to the docket in this case,” Burstein wrote.
Burstein wants Blackburn to reimburse Minaj’s legal bills and demands a judge issue an order referring Blackburn to the court’s disciplinary committee for even harsher punishments.
“He is arrogantly and incomprehensibly contending that his conduct in this case was appropriate,” Burstein wrote. “He should not be permitted to walk away from this Court believing that he is free to victimize Ms. Maraj a second time with the same baseless claims.”
Jennifer Hough sued in August 2021, claiming Petty raped her in 1994 and intimidated her into silence. She said she had been “traumatized her entire life” and later was subjected to harassment by Minaj, Petty and their “allies, legal teams, and fans.”
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“Nicki Minaj, directly and indirectly, reached out to plaintiff Hough’s family members to ensure plaintiff would recant her legitimate claim that defendant Petty raped her,” Hough wrote at the time.
The case against Petty remains ongoing, with Hough asking for a default as a result of Petty’s slow response to the suit.
