Nicki Minaj Faces Split Speculation As Kenneth Petty Lists New Address On Official Sex Offender Documents

A legally mandated document has done what years of rumours could not: place Kenneth Petty across the country from Nicki Minaj's £15.8 million ($20 million) Hidden Hills mansion. Hip-hop commentator DJ Vlad posted to X on 27 April 2026, sharing a screenshot from the New York State sex offender registry showing Petty now listed at an 800-square-foot home in Jamaica, Queens, thousands of miles from the California property Minaj owns.

The post has unleashed a fresh wave of speculation that the couple's six-year marriage is over, even as neither party has confirmed a split. This is not the first time that state-mandated paperwork has dragged Petty's private life into public view, and it almost certainly will not be the last.

The Registry Entry That Started It All

Vlad's post read: 'It looks like Nicki Minaj dumped her husband, Kenneth Petty. According to the sex offender registry, he's now living in a tiny 800-square-foot house in Jamaica, Queens, instead of the $20M Hidden Hills mansion Nicki owns. The rumour is that he got another girl pregnant, but that's not confirmed.'

When fans countered that Petty may have listed a false address to protect Minaj's privacy, Vlad was blunt: 'That's not how the sex offender registry works,' he fired back. 'It's where you're physically located. You think Nicki and their son are living with him in that tiny house?'

His reading of the law is accurate. Under New York State's Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA), registered sex offenders must notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in writing of any new address no later than 10 days after moving. Failure to perform these duties constitutes a separate felony offence. Given that Petty has already been convicted and sentenced precisely for failing to comply with these requirements, his incentive to file accurately is high.

A History Written in Court Documents

Petty's name on that registry is no accident of bureaucracy. In 1995, he was convicted of attempted rape in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon, receiving an 18- to 54-month prison sentence and serving nearly four years before his release in January 1999.

The conviction followed him when he and Minaj relocated to California after their 2019 marriage. A traffic stop in Los Angeles revealed he had not registered in California, as state law required. He was indicted in March 2020, eventually pleaded guilty to the federal charge of failure to register, and in July 2022 was sentenced to three years' probation, one year of home confinement and ordered to pay a £43,650 ($55,000) fine, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

At sentencing, Petty addressed the court directly. 'I take full responsibility for whatever happens today,' he said. 'I'm ashamed, embarrassed, and disrespected my wife's brand. There are no excuses, I broke the law.' That statement of contrition did little to quiet public debate about Minaj's choice to remain at his side.

A Marriage Under Persistent Scrutiny

The split speculation is not new, but the registry evidence gives it a factual anchor that earlier rumours lacked. In July 2025, social media users noted that Minaj appeared to have unfollowed Petty on Instagram and removed his photos from her account, sparking a fresh wave of breakup claims. Those rumours proved premature. Minaj responded by sharing a clip presenting the family as united, apparently putting the speculation to rest at the time.

Similar rumours had surfaced in June 2024, only to be dismissed after Minaj posted family-oriented content. The current development, however, rests not on a social media disappearance but on a state-maintained legal database, one that Petty is compelled by law to keep current.

The marriage has also been shadowed by a civil lawsuit. Jennifer Hough, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Petty in 1994 when both were teenagers, filed suit against Petty and Minaj in 2021, claiming harassment, intimidation and emotional distress. Minaj was voluntarily removed from the lawsuit by Hough's legal team in 2022. That civil matter against Petty remains unresolved.

What the Law Says — and What It Doesn't

The registry entry confirms a change of address. It does not confirm a divorce, a separation or infidelity. New York State's DCJS makes clear that the Sex Offender Registry contains residence address, multiple photos, names and conviction details for all Level 2 and Level 3 registrants, and that the address listed reflects where the offender is physically living. A registrant must report any change of address to DCJS within 10 calendar days, and failure to comply is a Class E felony for a first offence and a Class D felony for a second.

What the document does confirm is that Kenneth Petty, by his own legal obligation, is no longer at the same address as the woman he married in October 2019. Neither Nicki Minaj nor representatives for Kenneth Petty have issued a public statement in response to the renewed speculation.

For now, a publicly searchable government database is speaking where the couple has chosen silence.