Rapper Nicki Minaj unleashed a homophobic tirade against journalist Don Lemon after he covered an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service. Lemon clapped back hard, calling her an ignorant grifter who doesn't support her Black and gay fans. Now, investigations are brewing from both local police and the DOJ.
Oh honey, the drama is serving itself on a silver platter this week! 😤 On Sunday, January 18, 2026, a group of 30 to 40 anti-ICE protesters stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, interrupting the service to call out Pastor David Easterwood, who's allegedly a senior ICE official with decades in law enforcement and 10 years as a pastor there. The stunt was part of backlash against federal immigration raids following the shooting death of Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, now indie, was right in the mix, live-streaming the chaos on TikTok and even sharing a cheek kiss with a protest organizer while trying to snag an interview with lead pastor Jonathan Parnell. Parishioner Caleb Phillips told TMZ the disruption scared kids and folks half to death, calling it a 'disgusting' backfire that accomplished zilch—though he thinks it'll draw more worshippers for the right reasons (Jesus, not ICE). 👀
By Monday, St. Paul police launched a disorderly conduct probe after parishioners called them; the crowd had dispersed outside by the time cops arrived. But the feds aren't playing: DOJ Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon confirmed to TMZ every demonstrator is under investigation, hinting charges under the FACE Act and century-old KKK Act for terrorizing civil rights. And Don? Dhillon said 'connect the dots'—no exemption for journalists, apparently.
Enter Nicki Minaj, who lost it on X: 'DON ‘C— SUCKIN’ LEMON IS DISGUSTING. HOW DARE YOU? I WANT THAT THUG IN JAIL!!!!! HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OTHER RELIGION. LOCK HIM UP!!!!!' The gay, married-to-Tim-Malone-in-2024 Lemon didn't hold back. On 'I've Had It Podcast,' he roasted: 'Nicki Minaj is not a Christian... What she is—is a grifter. Nicki Minaj doesn’t care about black people. She doesn’t care about gay people. Those are two of her biggest supporters and the people who make her rich.' He added, 'If we were in the day where we bought records, I would be burning Nicki Minaj’s records today... she is an ignorant pick me, and I choose not to pick her.' On TMZ Live, he escalated: 'Sit the f*** down... get a life and grow some brains.' Lemon suspects her MAGA pivot is a ploy for a pardon for hubby Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender. Nicki doubled down: 'LOL!!! And i purposely wrote it that way b/c I knew that would be the only way to get the c**k suckas to post about it. I'm glad they're angry. They're about to get angrier'—complete with a middle-finger Chucky doll pic. 🔥
Comedian D.L. Hughley piled on at LAX, telling TMZ Nicki should forget Lemon and worry about Chris Hansen—nodding to Petty and her brother Jelani Maraj's 25-to-life sentence for child sex assault. Trump's press sec Karoline Leavitt vowed no tolerance for harassing Christians in worship. So, is this protest sparking a bigger celeb feud, or just more mess from Minaj's MAGA era? Spill your thoughts!
