Comedian Rosie O’Donnell called out rapper Nicki Minaj on Instagram, questioning her heritage, causing critics to react online. The 63-year-old sparked widespread reaction online with her recent post aimed at the Trump supporter.
In a post on Instagram, O’Donnell shared a snippet of the original diss aimed at Minaj on Threads. The post highlighted MAGA celebrating Minaj’s support over the last few months. The ‘Side to Side’ rapper recently appeared alongside Erika Kirk at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest earlier this week. Her appearance gained immense support from right-wing followers.
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Circling back, O’Donnell’s Instagram post took a major dig at Minaj’s heritage and family history, throwing shade at some of MAGA’s reported criminal records and non-American roots. O’Donnell first pointed out Minaj’s real name: Onika Tanya Maraj. She then mentioned her original place of birth, alleging she’s not a “real American.” O’Donnell wrote, “Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago = not American.”
O’Donnell didn’t just bring up her heritage. She also brought up her family’s past crimes, causing quite a stir online. The comedian recalled her brother Jelani Maraj’s criminal case in which he was found guilty of r—– a minor.
According to the BBC, Minaj’s brother was convicted of predatory sexual assault and child endangerment and was found guilty on both counts in 2017. It was in 2020 that he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for repeatedly r—– his victim, who first came forward during a 2015 trial.
O’Donnell also mentioned Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, who is a “convicted criminal.” The rapper’s infamous husband was convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman back when they were 16. Petty continues to deny claims made against him by prosecutors.
Minaj’s husband was also under house arrest for 120 days in violation of his probation in California. Petty and a group of friends were seen threatening another rapper, Offset, in a video that went viral in 2023.
O’Donnell’s online post zeroing in on Minaj’s and her family’s past is perhaps a prompt to urge her fandom to think about who they’re supporting. Moreover, it is an alleged attempt to highlight who MAGA was associated with. As mentioned earlier, the post featuring her Threads screenshot generated quite a response online. Many of O’Donnell’s followers flooded the comment section with remarks about the rapper, especially with the information shared.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) December 23, 2025
One user wrote, “I hope everyone remembers this in a few years when she wants her old fan base to buy her albums or attend her tour.” Another one recalled the outpouring of support from MAGA for Minaj and her interaction with the late Charlie Kirk’s widow. The user wrote, “Yes, now they love her. She’s on tour with the grieving widow at the moment.” A third one mentioned, “What an absolute sellout!”
Minaj is yet to respond to O’Donnell’s Instagram post highlighting her heritage. Whether or not we might see a diss track about a possible new feud between the two remains to be seen.
