Nicki Minaj sparked backlash after criticizing journalist Don Lemon and calling him a homophobic slur over his coverage of a protest that disrupted a church service in Minnesota.
The dispute stems from a demonstration that unfolded during a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where protesters interrupted the gathering while voicing opposition to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the state.
According to multiple media reports, the church’s pastor is alleged to have ties to ICE, a claim that fueled the protest. Cities Church lists eight pastors in various roles, including a pastor named David Easterwood, who shares a name with the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office, according to Fox News, but it has not been confirmed if the two individuals are the same person.
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Lemon, 59, was livestreaming and reporting from the scene when clips of the incident began circulating online.
Minaj, 43, reacted to coverage in a series of posts on X, where she slammed Lemon’s reporting and accused him of singling out a Christian church.
“DON ‘C**K SUCKIN’ LEMON IS DISGUSTING. HOW DARE YOU?” Minaj wrote on Sunday, January 18. “I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!”
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Lemon, who is openly gay and married Tim Malone in 2024, responded to the criticism by pushing back on Minaj’s remarks.
“I’m not surprised Nicki Minaj does not understand journalism and is weighing in on matters that are above her capacity,” Lemon told TMZ. “However, the more appropriate image for her post is a ‘Pick Me’ Doll,” referring to the slang term often used for people who are desperate for acceptance.