Ever since their judging days on American Idol, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj have clearly had it out for each other. When the two of the biggest divas in the industry don’t like each other, people take notice. That’s doubly true when most of the conflict takes place on a TV show watched by millions.
The feud erupted between the two when they joined the cast of American Idol as judges. Carey later said in interviews that when she agreed to be a judge, she was under the impression that there would only be three judges on the panel. Imagine her surprise when she learned Minaj would also be joining. Almost immediately, the two superstars bumped heads with each other.
Mariah Meets Minaj
Their judging styles were very different, which only led to more tension between the two. Carey found it difficult to say no to anyone, while Minaj took things personally when lesser talent moved forward. Eventually, things came to a head when the two argued on set. Carey said she later heard from others that Minaj had threatened her, saying she [Minaj] wished she had a gun so she could shoot Carey. “It felt like an unsafe work environment,” Carey told Barbara Walters in a 2013 interview. “Anytime anybody’s reeling threats at somebody, you know, it’s not appropriate. I’m a professional. I’m not used to that type of environment.”
Though Minaj denied making the comment, Carey hired extra security after the incident. “I just felt it was the appropriate thing to do,” Carey said. “Sitting there on the road with two babies [then 1-year-old twins Monroe and Morrocan], I’m not going to take any chances.”
For her part, Nicki Minaj wasn’t above lashing out at the “All I Want For Christmas” singer. The rapper allegedly dissed Carey in her 2012 song “Hell Yeah.” The song includes lines like, “Shout out Mike Darnell and Nigel/Why these bums so mad that the queen on Idol, huh?” Some believe this line in particular is about the Carey feud since it references Mike Darnell, the president of Alternative Entertainment at Fox, and Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of American Idol, the two men responsible for her position at the judges’ table. The “bum” Minaj references, therefore, is likely Mariah Carey.
It doesn’t seem like either of the divas are too eager to squash this beef. In a 2016 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, host Andy Cohen asked Carey if she could say three nice things about her rapper foe. After a long pause, Carey dryly asked, “Could you?” Carey is never one to shy away from a little shade.
Always Be My Enemy
The contentious relationship makes the two former American Idol judges excellent fodder for the gossip mills. The Globe reported that Minaj and Carey were working together to keep Jennifer Lopez from winning an Oscar. According to an anonymous source, both ladies believed they had been passed over for a role in Lopez’s 2019 hit film, Hustlers. As revenge against Lopez, the two were apparently spreading rumors about the “Jenny From The Block” singer, including that she was a “two-faced backstabber.”
Strangely enough, the publication didn’t mention the years-long beef between Carey and Minaj since that would ruin its story. Gossip Cop could have debunked this fraudulent rumor on that information alone, but we decided to reach out to people connected to the situation. Unsurprisingly, each of them denied these claims. It’s silly to make up a feud when there’s already an iconic one right in your face.
