Nicki Minaj and former NFL star Dez Bryant got into a vicious back and forth just under a week ago. Bryant mentioned the role Roc Nation played in securing his $70 million contract extension, while Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pointed to those negotiations as the reason why he prefers to speak directly with players instead of their agents amid an ongoing dispute with superstar defensive end Micah Parsons.
Of course, the words “Roc Nation” set Nicki Minaj off, and the two got into an argument that included Minaj pulling up receipts about Bryant's legal history and Bryant discussing Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, who is a registered sex offender.
During that rant, Minaj offered Bryant $10 million to fight her husband. Unsurprisingly, Bryant did not take her up on that offer, but the idea of a former NFL wide receiver fighting a man off the street did spark plenty of jokes.
Now, there has been a bit of a positive update in the chaos. Both sides of the petty war of words issued public apologies to each other via X (formerly Twitter).
"I really don't like the misunderstanding we had between each other," wrote Bryant. "I apologize for bringing up your husband's past. It's a shame only negative things make headlines between two Black people who have so much influence on our community [...] The last thing I wanna do is argue over stupid s**t."
Minaj accepted the apology. "Nothing makes me respect someone more than a public display of accountability." She did still jokingly offer to put on the fight between Bryant and Petty, but wished Bryant "all the best" in conclusion.
Nicki Minaj Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant has previously called himself a fan of Nicki Minaj's, and now the two appear to be back on cordial terms. That likely does not mean the relationship between her and Roc Nation is any less frosty than it already has been. Still, the peaceful ending to this spat is much preferable to continued mud-slinging.
