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Nicki Minaj reveals she was swatted after prankster told police her son, 2, was being abused
Police spoke with Nicki Minaj, examined the baby and determined there were no signs of abuse
Nicki Minaj revealed that she was a victim of a ‘swatting’ attack with an anonymous person falsely telling police that her son, two, was being abused. The caller allegedly contacted local child services, and Los Angeles Police Department sheriff’s deputies subsequently showed up at her California mansion this week, Minaj told TMZ. Minaj shares her little son with her husband Kenneth Petty.
Police spoke with Minaj, examined the baby and determined there were no signs of abuse. Some hours later, however, another prankster called 911 and claimed there was a fire at Minaj’s house. Soon after, it was found that the calls were bogus and Minaj had been swatted.
Swatting, which has been done since around the early 200s, is described as a dangerous and illegal prank where a person makes a hoax call to an emergency number to report false incidents in an attempt to send heavily armed law enforcement to a particular area. This is how the name SWAT team came into being. Swatting is a criminal offense and the suspect can face charges for the crime. Swatting can lead to a suspect being charged with harassment, endangerment, or other criminal offenses, and can also prompt civil lawsuits for any damage caused by the law enforcement response, like property damage or emotional distress.
Minaj affectionately refers to her son as ‘Papa Bear.’ His real name has not been revealed. The toddler was born in September 2020, about a year after her marriage to Petty.
Minaj had previously said that she has become "more of a forgiving person” after she became a mom. "I think motherhood has made me see more good in people, more good in the universe," she said during a February 2022 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
"When I look at my son, I'm reminded that I am so blessed," she added. "I realized, for so many women, this is their dream. Their dream is to have a child and not everybody gets that blessing. So when you have a little baby, you are reminded every day like, 'Oh my God. Thank you God for this little gift.'”
