Colin Kaepernick’s wife and Hot 97 personality Nessa Diab took to Instagram Live with a message she’s been trying to get across for years. The Shade Room reported on the viral moment on Saturday (July 19).
The Nessa On Air host jumped into the conversation after Nicki Minaj posted a series of allegations about Jay-Z, Desiree Perez, and Roc Nation. For Nessa, the parallels were too familiar to ignore.
During her livestream, Nessa said Minaj’s claims reminded her of what she saw happen to Kaepernick during the height of his NFL protest against police brutality. “I saw it happen to Colin," she said. "I called it out years ago.” She urged viewers to revisit the timeline, saying all the signs were already there.
One of Nessa’s main points of frustration centered on Jay-Z’s 2019 “Inspire Change” deal with the NFL. He only spoke with Jay after everything was already in motion.
“He knew exactly what it would do,” she said. “I was there. I heard the conversation.” In her view, the deal helped repair the NFL’s public image while ignoring the man who started the conversation.
Who Is Nessa Diab?
Nessa also pushed back on persistent rumors that Kaepernick had turned down offers to return to the league. “He was never offered a job,” she said. “They wanted people to think he didn’t want to play or asked for too much money.”
A few days later, on July 16, she doubled down in a post on X, accusing Jay-Z, Roc Nation, and Desiree Perez of running a long-term smear campaign. She even alleged Roc Nation pocketed $5 million per year for five years to help redirect the conversation away from Kaepernick’s blackballing. Nessa also called out Perez’s 2021 pardon from Donald Trump, hinting at deeper ties to NFL ownership and political influence.
Neither Jay-Z nor Roc Nation has publicly responded, but Nessa’s statements have reignited an ongoing conversation about power, image control, and who really gets to shape public memory. Her message remains pointed: she’s not bringing up old drama—she’s reminding people what never got resolved.
