Nicki Minaj hasn’t publicly reacted to Deon Cole’s jokes at the NAACP Image Awards — but some of her fans definitely did.
Cole hosted the ceremony on Saturday, February 28, and didn’t hold back during his opening monologue. He cracked jokes about the BAFTA controversy, Donald Trump, 50 Cent, and several other headline-makers. However, it was his comments about Nicki Minaj that seemed to spark the strongest reaction online.
Shortly after the show, Cole took to Instagram to post screenshots of hateful messages he received in his DMs, many of which appeared to come from Barbz defending the rapper after his mock prayer bit.
“Keep Nicki out yo mouth before I spit on u,” one message read. Another said, “B***H F***K YOU QUIT SPEAKING ON THE MOTHER F**ING QUEEN NAME B**H, NOTICE HOW NOBODY EVEN KNEW WHO TF U WERE UNTIL U BROUGHT HER NAME UP, I HOPE U AND ALL UR FAMILY MEMBERS GET TOUCHED IRL THAT OUGHTA TEACH U.” A third message added, “You b**h a** n***a keep Nicki name out your f**ing mouth p***y a b**h! Ugly a hair you lame asf weak b**h! All yall b**hes lame.”
It wasn’t only his Nicki jokes that stirred backlash. Some viewers also criticized a separate joke he made about Tourette syndrome. Still, much of the heat in his inbox appeared tied directly to Minaj.
This isn’t the first time Nicki has been the subject of an award-show roast. She previously clapped back at Trevor Noah and others after jokes made at the Grammys. As of now, though, she hasn’t addressed Cole’s remarks.
Beyond the DMs flooding Deon Cole’s inbox, some fans are questioning why he chose to joke about Nicki Minaj in the first place. While he didn’t spell out a specific reason during his set, Minaj’s recent political stance — particularly her controversial support of Donald Trump — has sparked plenty of debate online.
Because of that, some viewers believe that may have been the backdrop to the joke. Her public endorsement of his policies and viewpoints has split her fanbase, with critics calling her out and loyal supporters continuing to ride for her.
Whether this turns into a bigger back-and-forth remains to be seen. For now, Nicki Minaj hasn’t addressed the situation, and the Barbz are the ones leading the defense.
