Nicki Minaj Skips Met Gala To Stay With Her Baby Amid Covid, Says You Shouldn't Get Bullied Into Getting A Vaccine

Nicki Minaj wrote on Twitter yesterday that she wouldn't be attending that day's big fashion event and fundraiser because she didn't want to leave her baby boy. Unfortunately, Nicki's comments have been twisted and mispresented by mainstream media.

Media Misrepresentation

The mainstream media's devotion to pro-vaccine narratives and picking and choosing their facts was apparent in the response to Nicki's comments. However, Nicki Minaj wasn't going to take the incorrect headlines and misleading reporting lying down. She called out several news outlets over their inaccurate reporting, starting with MSNBC correspondent Joy Ann Reid, whom she refers to as Uncle Tomiana.

Nicki further shared screenshots of inaccurate headlines on her Twitter, calling out the lies.

Nicki highlighted the media bias, sharing a fan's tweet about how the headline of any other first time mom skipping the Met would have been in praise of the mom staying home to care for her baby.

Nicki Minaj's first child, a son she publicly refers to by his nickname Papa Bear, was born September 30, 2020. Nicki and her husband Kenneth Petty have protected their son's privacy by keeping his birth name private and by rarely sharing pictures of him on social media.

Nicki also protected her son another way – by skipping the 2021 Met Gala to prevent any chance of catching Covid-19. Here's what really happened.

What Nicki Really Said

Nicki Minaj's first comment on the topic of her not attending the Met Gala was to explain that she didn't want to leave her baby – she doesn't have a nanny because of Covid.

She further explained that she had previously caught Covid while preparing for the VMAS, and it was heartbreaking for her to not be able to hold her baby boy. The risk of that situation reoccurring was enough to dissuade her from attending the Met Gala.

Another reason Nicki gave (and this is what generated the most media backlash) was the vaccine requirement. Nicki shared she's still doing her research and wasn't going to get the vaccine just to attend the Met.

She also shared a anecdote about a negative side effect of getting the vaccine. She emphasized that people should be comfortable with getting the vaccine, not be forced into getting it.

Nicki does say that she will eventually get the vaccine. She knows she'll need to it go on tour, but she just isn't ready yet apparently.

Nicki Minaj's situation brings to the foreground the struggle that anyone – no matter their political or celebrity status – faces when voicing concerns or hesitations over the Covid vaccine, even if those include wanting to do your own research to make your own best decision for your own body.