Nicki Minaj was seemingly arrested in Amsterdam on Saturday (May 25) while on her way to perform a concert in the United Kingdom.
The “Super Bass” rapper captured the incident in an Instagram Live video that was later reposted by her fans on social media. In the clip, an Amsterdam official is heard saying he wants to take Minaj into custody for “carrying drugs,” despite her claim that she was not holding any contraband.
“I’m not going in there. I need a lawyer present,” Minaj, 41, replies to the authorities, who repeatedly ask her to step into a vehicle and stop recording.
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Minaj was scheduled to perform at Manchester’s Co-Op Live on Saturday night as part of her Pink Friday 2 Tour. Another officer in the video is heard referencing the concert, saying officials would “try to get [her] there” as soon as possible.
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“Oh, so I’m under arrest?” she asks as an official responds, “Yes.” He didn’t offer any further explanation.
The clip ends with Minaj voluntarily getting into the police van.
It was not clear at press time if Minaj had been booked at a police station. A spokesperson for Royal Netherlands Marechaussee military police told TMZ that an American woman had been arrested for possessing “soft drugs,” but declined to identify the individual by name or the specific type of alleged drugs.
Promoter Live Nation said Minaj’s Manchester performance will be rescheduled and original tickets will be honored, according to a statement given to The Associated Press, who also reported that the police had found marijuana in her bags.
“Despite Nicki’s best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight’s show happen, the events of today have made it impossible,” said Live Nation. “We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused.”
After “sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours” before arriving in Manchester, Minaj gave an update in a post on X (formerly Twitter) Saturday night: “we will have another date for tonight’s show shortly & I’ll probably be able to share it tmrw. One July option & one June option is currently being discussed. I’ll find a way to not only make up the date with the performance but I’m going to create an added bonus for everyone that had a tkt for this show. Promise.”
Minaj shared her hotel location and welcomed local fans to stop by and say hello. “Barbz, I’m going on the balcony so if you’re outside I’ll be able to see you & I may come downstairs,” she wrote. “I’ll be out there for about an hour. Rlly wanted to at least get to see you. But if you’re in bed plz STAY THERE.”
Billboard has reached out to Minaj’s representatives for further comment.
The “Super Freaky Girl” rapper shared another video on Saturday that appears to be an airport official telling her that authorities need to search her bags.
“Now they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls,” Minaj wrote on X (formerly Twitter), later noting that her plane was being delayed a couple hours.
“Keep in mind they took my bags without consent,” she added, pointing out that marijuana is legal in Amsterdam. “My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him. Oh yea & the pilot wants me to take my ig post down.”
On Instagram, the rapper suggested that her Pink Friday 2 tour was being “sabotaged.” “They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show,” she wrote. “They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they’re waiting on customs. This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they’ve done is illegal.”
The incident prompted the Barbz to share their displeasure on social media, resulting in the hashtag “#FREENICKI” trending on X.
See Minaj’s posts below.