Nicki Minaj announces she’s pregnant, expecting first child

Rapper, model and singer Nicki Minaj announced Monday that she’s expecting her first child nearly a year after marrying Kenneth Petty.

The Grammy-nominated artist made the announcement on Instagram with an image captioned "#Preggers."

She thanked fans for their well-wishes in a subsequent Instagram post.

“Love. Marriage. Baby carriage,” she wrote. “Overflowing with excitement & gratitude.”

Rumors over Minaj’s possible pregnancy began to ramp up last month, after the MC collaborated with rapper 6ix9ine for the song “Trollz,” according to Complex. Minaj has previously talked about wanting to start a family, telling Vogue Italia in 2014 that she hoped to eventually become a full-time mom.

"I don't want to work all my life and never experience the joys of a family," she said. "It isn't time yet, but when I decide to get married and become a mother, I would like to take a break and devote myself completely to my child."

In September 2019, Minaj alarmed fans when she said on social media that she had decided to retire and start her family, but she later walked back the comments and apologized for the abrupt announcement, Cosmopolitan reported.

Minaj and Petty wed in October 2019. They had previously dated as teenagers and sparked up a relationship after reconnecting in 2018, Us Weekly reported. In June, she said during an interview on Apple Music’s “Young Money Radio with Lil Wayne” that she had no complaints about married life.

“I didn’t think it would be as refreshing and calming as it is,” she said. “Even if you’re not married, when you have someone that feels like your soulmate or someone who understands you, it just makes you feel like you’re on top of the world.”

The relationship between Minaj and Petty has not been entirely without controversy. In March, Petty surrendered to federal authorities after failing to properly register as a sex offender following a 1995 first-degree rape conviction, USA Today reported.

Minaj has consistently slammed critics of her relationship with Petty.

Cox Media Group