Nicki Minaj Dropped by Attorney in $10M Fan Lawsuit

Photo Credit: Nicki Minaj by Gage Skidmore / CC by 4.0

Nicki Minaj is getting dropped by her lawyer over a “communication breakdown” amid a $10 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by a former fan.

Nicki Minaj is caught up in an ongoing $10 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by a former fan. But she won’t be facing it with attorney Matthew Abbott of Northstar Business Enterprises by her side, who filed court papers asking to withdraw from the case over a “communication breakdown” with the rapper.

Tameer Peak, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, initially filed his defamation suit against Minaj back in August 2024, with allegations that he was the subject of false accusations of criminal conduct and stalking. Late last year, Minaj’s longtime lawyer, Judd Burstein, stepped away rather abruptly from representing the artist in the dispute. Abbott, the attorney who replaced Burstein, has now asked to bow out as well.

Abbott is also notably linked to Minaj’s management company and label, Heavy On It Records, which she launched early this year. According to court documents, Abbott claims to not have heard from Minaj in months despite reaching out several times via text and email to both the artist and her accountants.

The strangest thing about all this isn’t even the revolving door of Minaj attorneys; it’s the fact that her former attorney, Judd Burstein, characterized Peak’s lawsuit as “entirely frivolous” and lacking legal weight. In fact, Burstein made clear that his withdrawal from the case was “unrelated to any concern about the merits of the claims.”

Now, Minaj faces a deadline by which she must secure a third lawyer or respond to Abbott’s motion to withdraw. The judge has not yet ruled on the motion to exit, but Minaj risks facing the case alone as long as she remains without legal counsel.

It seems the primary obstacle boils down to logistical issues in representing the likes of Nicki Minaj, rather than evidence surrounding the case itself. Rather than the validity of Peak’s allegations being center stage, the focus shifts instead to the internal workings of Minaj’s business—and that sends a pretty clear message to the industry, when a second attorney has called it quits.

Nicki Minaj has been at the center of a number of lawsuits in recent years, and she’s also been very much in the public eye lately. Media outlets have noted her presence supporting Donald Trump at various events, as well as continuing to engage in expansive arguments on social media with fellow rapper Cardi B.

She also recently went on a rant on the former Twitter about California Governor Gavin Newsom, though its unclear if Minaj’s high-profile political barbs are scaring away any barristers.