Here's How Popstars Responded To Nicki Minaj's MAGA Turn: From Ariana Grande to Selena Gomez

Nicki Minaj's public embrace of Donald Trump has triggered a visible split between the rapper and several major pop stars. In recent weeks, Nicki Minaj has openly endorsed Donald Trump, referring to herself as his 'number one fan' while dismissing criticism from fellow celebrities.

Her comments were made during a Treasury Department-hosted summit in Washington that launched 'Trump Accounts', a financial initiative aimed at newborn babies. At the event, Minaj said that negative reactions did not affect her and instead motivated her to support Trump more strongly. Minaj also claimed critics were 'bullying' Trump and said that 'God is protecting him', remarks that were made shortly before the president addressed the crowd.

During the same appearance, she pledged between £111,000 and £222,000 (approximately $150,000 to $300,000) to fund Trump Accounts. Trump publicly praised Minaj in return, calling her the 'greatest and most successful female rapper in history' and thanking her for donating 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'.

A Sharp Shift From Her Previous Position

Minaj's current stance represents a significant change from her position in 2020, when she said she would not 'jump on the Donald Trump bandwagon'. Since then, she has become one of Trump's most vocal celebrity supporters, drawing sustained attention from fans and peers alike. The reaction from the entertainment industry was swift, public, and largely critical.

Pop Stars Make Moves

Among the most closely watched responses were actions taken by Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande. Both pop stars quietly unfollowed Minaj on social media as her comments supporting Trump began circulating widely.

Neither Gomez nor Grande has made a public statement explaining the decision. Despite the lack of comment, the move was widely noted online and interpreted as a response to Minaj's political stance.

The backlash was particularly pronounced within Minaj's recent professional circle, including Kim Petras. Petras collaborated with Minaj on the 2023 track Alone and had previously spoken openly about her admiration for the rapper. Following Minaj's remarks and political alignment, Petras unfollowed her and made comments indicating she could not remain silent amid rhetoric and alliances that many see as threatening to trans people, especially being trans herself. While Petras did not mention Minaj by name, the timing of her statements coincided closely with the controversy.

Further Celebrity Pushback And Public Criticism

Beyond pop stars, other public figures also addressed Minaj's behaviour. The situation further worsened after Minaj used a homophobic slur while criticising journalist Don Lemon over his reporting on a protest at a church allegedly connected to ICE. This incident drew additional scrutiny and expanded the backlash beyond political disagreement. It also prompted some celebrities to share past experiences involving Minaj.

Model and Orange Is the New Black actress Ruby Rose publicly defended Don Lemon and used the moment to discuss her own experience working with Minaj during the Pink Friday Reloaded tour in 2012. Rose alleged that staff lived in constant fear of being fired and claimed that Minaj 'had to fire someone after every show'.

She also said Minaj once threatened to dismiss the entire team after her real age was revealed through birthday messages. In a written statement, Rose said she had held back these stories for months but decided to speak following Minaj's comments about Lemon.

Online, responses from both fans and industry insiders alike have started to become widespread, with others stating that they could no longer support Minaj and others recounting negative working experiences they have had with her.

As of the latest developments, Nicki Minaj has not publicly responded to Ruby Rose's claims. She has also not addressed the unfollowing by Gomez, Grande, or Petras.