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Nicki Minaj fans fume as gig is axed after arrest
“I spent £150 for my ticket and booked a day off work for it, and we sat there for about three hours waiting and we got told it’s not happening,” she said. “I’m gutted.”
Ellis Day, 17, from Cheshire, said he was “absolutely devastated”.
“We’ve come here, we spent all day getting ready, to see this happen.
“It’s just really disappointing when we’ve got our hopes up and spent the money, and we get told at the very last minute that she’s not going to show up.”
Nicki Minaj’s legendary rap career has spanned more than a decade. Here are photos of the queen of rap through the years.
Nicki Minaj has apparently been released after being arrested in Amsterdam on Saturday, according to reports by multiple outlets. Footage from an Instagram Live by Minaj showed her exchange with an officer. It was then recorded and posted on X by various fan accounts.
©Charles Sykes, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Minaj accepts the video vanguard award at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center on Aug. 28, 2022, in Newark, New Jersey.
Multiple reports state that Minaj’s release was seemingly confirmed by Amsterdam police in a post on the agency’s X account in Dutch although her name was not mentioned. In English it reads: “We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was fined and can continue her journey.”
The 12-time Grammy nominee appeared to be detained after a video, lasting over three minutes, shows the rapper discussing her apparent arrest with an Amsterdam police officer, who said the star is being detained “because you’re carrying drugs” after she asked why she was being arrested.
The “Anaconda” rapper responded by saying “I’m not carrying drugs.” Minaj continued the conversation by telling the officer “I need a lawyer present” and “no, I need a lawyer present now” when the officer told her to get in a vehicle. The officer then appeared to say, “we’ll get (you to) next show.” Minaj responded and said, “you’re talking about my show? What about it?” according to an apparent Instagram Live posted from the rapper’s own page.
USA TODAY has reached out to reps for Minaj. In a emailed statement to USA TODAY, Amsterdam Police said “we cannot provide information on persons older than 18 years. This is because of the data privacy law. Therefore, we cannot confirm anything.”
Source:USA
Earlier, Minaj filmed part of her arrest, posting it to social media on Saturday afternoon.
In the video, a police officer could seemingly be heard telling her: “You are under arrest.”
The music star posted a series of messages on X. “They took my luggage without consent,” she wrote in one. In another she added: “This is Amsterdam btw [by the way], where weed is legal.”
It is technically against the law to possess, sell or produce drugs in the Netherlands. But the country operates a policy of toleration towards the sale or possession of small amounts of some drugs.
In a statement, promoters Live Nation said: “Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed.”
“Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance which will be announced as soon as possible.
“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”
Co-op Live posted the same statement.
Minaj is due to continue her tour in Birmingham on Sunday, then visit London and Glasgow, before a second scheduled date in Manchester on Thursday.