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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteNicki Minaj’s husband is Kenneth Petty, publicly known as Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. Minaj announced that they had married on October 21, 2019, using the name “Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty.” They have one son, born in Los Angeles on September 30, 2020, whom Minaj has publicly nicknamed “Papa Bear.”
Petty’s public profile is closely tied to Minaj rather than to a well-documented independent career in music or entertainment. He is also the subject of significant public interest because of a 1995 conviction for attempted first-degree rape, a 2006 conviction for first-degree manslaughter, a later conviction for failing to register as a sex offender after moving to California, and civil lawsuits that must be distinguished from criminal convictions.
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At a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is Nicki Minaj’s husband? | Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. |
| When did Minaj announce their marriage? | October 21, 2019. |
| Do they have children? | Yes. They have one son, publicly nicknamed “Papa Bear.” |
| What is Petty’s most serious criminal record? | A 1995 conviction for attempted first-degree rape and a 2006 conviction for first-degree manslaughter. |
| Was he convicted of murder? | No. He was initially charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. |
| Is he currently in prison? | The available information for this article does not establish that he is currently incarcerated. His later federal sentence and 2023 probation sanction involved home detention, not a new prison sentence. |
This article uses legal terms precisely: a criminal conviction, a criminal charge, a civil allegation, a default judgment, and a probation sanction are not interchangeable.
Who is Kenneth “Zoo” Petty?
Kenneth Petty is the husband of rapper and performer Nicki Minaj and the father of her child. He is also known by the nickname “Zoo.” Minaj and Petty reportedly knew each other as teenagers in Queens, New York, before reconnecting as adults.
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There is limited reliable evidence of a substantial independent entertainment career for Petty. Some online biographies describe him as a rapper, music executive, entrepreneur, or businessperson, but those descriptions are often unsupported or inconsistent. Unless a specific credit or business record is independently verified, the most accurate description is that Petty is a private figure whose public identity is primarily connected to Minaj, his family, and his legal history.
His birth date, net worth, current occupation, business interests, and alleged music credits should not be treated as established facts based solely on repeating celebrity-biography pages.
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty’s relationship timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Teenage years | Minaj and Petty reportedly knew each other in Queens. Accounts differ about the precise circumstances and ages involved. |
| 2018 | They reconnected and began appearing publicly as a couple. Their relationship was widely reported by late 2018. |
| October 21, 2019 | Minaj announced that they had married and displayed her married name, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty. ABC News reported on the announcement. |
| September 30, 2020 | Their son was born in Los Angeles. Minaj has publicly referred to him as “Papa Bear.” ABC News covered the birth. |
| June 2026 | Minaj shared material showing Petty with her and their son at a World Cup appearance, the latest located public evidence of them together. TMZ reported the appearance. |
How did they meet?
Minaj and Petty reportedly knew each other as teenagers in Queens and later reconnected in 2018. The broad timeline is consistent across coverage, but the details of their teenage relationship are not fully consistent. In 2018, Minaj wrote on social media that “he was 15, she was 16,” while court-related reporting connected Petty and Jennifer Hough with events when they were both described as 16. Those accounts should be attributed rather than presented as a precisely reconciled record. Us Weekly summarized the differing relationship accounts.
When did they marry?
Minaj announced the marriage on October 21, 2019. Her Instagram post used her married name, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, and displayed that date. The couple did not release a detailed, independently verified public account of the ceremony, so it is more accurate to say that Minaj announced that they had married on that date than to add unverified details about the wedding itself.
Do Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty have children?
Yes. They have one son, born in Los Angeles on September 30, 2020. Minaj has used the nickname “Papa Bear” publicly. The child’s legal name has not been reliably confirmed by the parents or an authoritative public record, so protecting his privacy means avoiding alleged names repeated by unofficial sources.
Kenneth Petty’s criminal record
Petty’s criminal history includes two older New York cases and a later federal case related to sex-offender registration. The dispositions are summarized below.
| Year | Type of matter | What the record establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Criminal conviction following a guilty plea | Attempted first-degree rape in Queens County, New York, arising from a 1994 incident involving Jennifer Hough, who was 16 according to court-related records and reporting. |
| 2002–2006 | Criminal charge followed by conviction following a guilty plea | Petty was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Lamont Robinson. In 2006, he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. |
| 2019–2022 | Federal criminal case and guilty plea | After moving from New York to California, Petty failed to register as a sex offender as required. He was arrested in California in 2020 and later pleaded guilty. |
| 2023 | Probation violation and court sanction | A federal judge ordered up to 120 additional days of home detention after finding that Petty violated probation through threatening social-media remarks directed at Offset. |
1995: attempted first-degree rape conviction
Petty pleaded guilty in Queens County, New York, to attempted rape in the first degree in connection with a 1994 incident involving Jennifer Hough. A court-related report identifies the plea as occurring on April 5, 1995, before a Queens County judge. The indictment had contained additional and more serious charges, but the criminal conviction was for attempted first-degree rape. The Hough v. Petty court report describes the plea and conviction.
That distinction matters. It is legally imprecise to shorten the disposition to a generic “rape conviction” without explaining that Petty was convicted of attempted first-degree rape. Hough later made additional allegations in civil litigation, but those allegations do not change the title of the criminal conviction.
Public reporting has described the sentence as 18 to 54 months. Other reports have said that Petty served approximately four years or four and a half years. Because those accounts do not align neatly, an exact time served should not be presented as indisputable without a New York Department of Corrections record. The reported sentence and time-served figures are summarized here.
The conviction made Petty subject to sex-offender registration requirements. He was registered in New York and later faced a federal case after failing to register when he moved to California.
It is also important not to label Petty a “pedophile.” The available record establishes a conviction for attempted first-degree rape involving a 16-year-old; the clinical and legal characterization implied by that term is not established by the sources reviewed.
2006: first-degree manslaughter conviction
Petty was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2002 shooting death of Lamont Robinson. The final criminal disposition was different: in 2006, Petty pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. TMZ reported the charge and later plea.
That means Petty was not convicted of murder. It is accurate to say that he was initially charged with second-degree murder and later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Calling him a convicted murderer would not accurately describe the final criminal disposition.
Entertainment reporting has described a 10-year sentence and approximately seven years served before his release in 2013. Those details should be attributed to the reporting rather than treated as a newly verified official prison-record finding. People’s reported account is available here.
California failure-to-register case
Petty moved from New York to California in 2019, after reconnecting with Minaj and before or around the time of their marriage. He was required to register as a sex offender after changing states but failed to do so. He was arrested in California in 2020, initially pleaded not guilty, and later pleaded guilty to the federal registration offense. Us Weekly reported on the arrest and case.
California law makes willful violations of sex-offender registration requirements criminal offenses, with the classification and potential penalty depending on the underlying conviction and circumstances. The relevant statute is California Penal Code section 290.018.
Older coverage sometimes says that Petty “is not registered.” That wording generally refers to his failure to register after moving to California in 2019. Available reporting indicates that he subsequently registered in California. His current registry level, address, and present status should be checked against a current official registry rather than inferred from older headlines.
What was his sentence for failing to register?
In July 2022, a federal judge sentenced Petty to:
- Three years of probation;
- One year of home confinement; and
- A $55,000 fine.
The sentence followed his guilty plea for failing to register as a sex offender after moving to California. Pitchfork reported the sentence.
Home confinement is not the same as prison or jail. Petty’s 2022 sentence did not send him back to prison. It imposed restrictions on where and how he could live while he served the home-detention portion of the sentence.
Why did he receive additional home detention in 2023?
In September 2023, Petty violated the terms of his federal probation after appearing in social-media videos that included threatening remarks directed at rapper Offset. A federal court ordered him to serve up to 120 additional days in a home-detention program. The court’s description also referred to the remarks being made while Petty was with someone who had a criminal record. The Los Angeles Times reported on the probation sanction.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThis was a probation consequence, not a new conviction for threatening Offset and not a new prison sentence. Saying that Petty was “jailed for threatening Offset” incorrectly collapses a probation violation, home detention, and a criminal conviction into one event.
What happened with Jennifer Hough’s lawsuit?
Jennifer Hough, who was connected to the 1994 criminal case, filed a federal civil lawsuit against Petty and Minaj in August 2021. Hough’s complaint alleged that Petty and Minaj harassed or intimidated her and attempted to pressure her to change or recant her account of the earlier incident. The original civil complaint is available here.
Those statements were allegations in a civil lawsuit, not new criminal convictions. Hough’s civil claims and Petty’s 1995 criminal conviction are related in subject matter but legally separate proceedings.
Minaj denied threatening Hough or offering her money in exchange for changing her statement. Minaj was voluntarily dismissed from the federal case in January 2022, and the dismissal was without prejudice. That phrase means the dismissal was not a ruling on the truth or falsity of the allegations and was not a decision that Minaj had prevailed on the merits. The federal docket is available through GovInfo.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The case against Petty continued through later procedural proceedings. In a 2023 report and recommendation, the court allowed Hough to add factual allegations and exhibits related to the underlying criminal case, while recommending that a separate attempted-rape claim be denied as duplicative of existing civil assault-and-battery claims. That was a procedural ruling; it was not a final finding that Hough’s civil allegations were true or false. The report and recommendation is summarized in the court-related record.
As of the latest legal reporting located for this article, through June 2026, a final resolution of the claims against Petty could not be reliably established. The case should not be described as won, lost, or settled unless a current docket entry or a statement from counsel confirms that result. Similarly, claims that Minaj bribed Hough should not be stated as fact; the available material establishes Hough’s allegations and Minaj’s denials, not a judicial finding that a bribe occurred.
The German security-guard lawsuit
Thomas Weidenmuller, a former security guard who worked at a 2019 Nicki Minaj concert in Frankfurt, Germany, sued Minaj and Petty over an alleged backstage assault. The complaint alleged that Petty struck Weidenmuller and that the incident caused serious jaw injuries. A summary of the lawsuit describes those allegations.
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A Los Angeles court later entered a default judgment of approximately $503,000 against Minaj and Petty after they did not respond to the lawsuit. This was a civil default judgment, not a criminal conviction. It should not be described as proof that either person was criminally convicted of assault.
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Collection efforts reportedly continued in 2025, including a levy against Minaj’s Hidden Hills home and a request to force a sale of the property. In January 2026, Weidenmuller’s lawyer said that the judgment had been satisfied and that the requested property sale would not proceed. Rap News reported the later development.
The final terms were not publicly disclosed in the sources reviewed. It is therefore more accurate to say that the judgment was reported as satisfied than to claim a specific settlement amount or an admission of liability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty still together?
The latest located public evidence shows Minaj and Petty together in June 2026, when Minaj shared video showing Petty with her and their son at a World Cup appearance. That supports the conclusion that they remained publicly together at that time and is relevant because older explainers sometimes treated breakup speculation on social media as fact. TMZ reported on the June 2026 appearance.
A public appearance is not, by itself, legal proof of marital status. No reliable source located for this article reported a divorce or legally confirmed separation by August 10, 2026. The careful answer is that Minaj announced their marriage in 2019 and the latest public evidence located shows them together; their current legal marital status should not be overstated beyond the available evidence.
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Why the wording matters
Coverage of Petty often compresses complicated legal history into labels that are easier to recognize but less accurate. The distinctions are important:
- Attempted first-degree rape: This is the 1995 criminal conviction. It should not be shortened to an unqualified rape conviction.
- First-degree manslaughter: This is the 2006 guilty plea and conviction. Petty was initially charged with second-degree murder, but he was not convicted of murder.
- Failure to register: This was a later criminal case connected to his move to California and sex-offender registration obligations.
- Home detention: The 2022 sentence and 2023 probation sanction involved home detention, not a new prison term.
- Hough lawsuit: The claims about harassment, intimidation, or pressure were civil allegations. Minaj’s dismissal without prejudice was not a ruling on the merits.
- Weidenmuller case: The approximately $503,000 judgment was a civil default judgment, not a criminal conviction. Its satisfaction was later reported, but the terms were not disclosed.
This distinction also explains why unsupported claims about Petty’s current job, net worth, music career, registry level, incarceration status, or the final status of the Hough litigation should be avoided unless newly verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nicki Minaj’s husband?
Nicki Minaj’s husband is Kenneth Petty, who is publicly known as Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. Minaj announced that they had married on October 21, 2019.
When did Nicki Minaj marry Kenneth Petty?
Minaj announced their marriage on October 21, 2019, using her married name, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty. The couple did not publicly provide a detailed, independently verified account of the ceremony.
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Do Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty have children?
Yes. They have one son, born in Los Angeles on September 30, 2020. Minaj has publicly referred to him by the nickname “Papa Bear.” His legal name has not been reliably confirmed by the parents or an authoritative public record.
What was Kenneth Petty convicted of?
Petty pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree rape in Queens County in 1995. He later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 2006. He also pleaded guilty in a federal case involving his failure to register as a sex offender after moving to California.
Was Kenneth Petty convicted of rape or attempted rape?
The precise criminal conviction was for attempted first-degree rape. Describing it simply as a rape conviction leaves out an important legal distinction.
Was Kenneth Petty convicted of murder?
No. Petty was initially charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2002 shooting death of Lamont Robinson, but he later pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
Is Kenneth Petty a registered sex offender?
The 1995 conviction subjected Petty to sex-offender registration requirements. He was registered in New York and later failed to register after moving to California; available reporting says he subsequently registered in California. His current registry level and status require a current official-record check and should not be inferred from older articles.
Is Kenneth Petty currently in jail or prison?
The available information for this article does not establish that Petty is currently incarcerated. His 2022 federal sentence included one year of home confinement, and his 2023 probation sanction involved up to 120 additional days of home detention rather than a new prison sentence.
What happened with Jennifer Hough’s lawsuit?
Hough sued Petty and Minaj in 2021, alleging harassment and intimidation connected to the earlier criminal case. Minaj was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice in January 2022, which was not a decision on the merits. The latest legal reporting located for this article did not establish a final resolution of the claims against Petty.
What happened in the German security-guard case?
Former security guard Thomas Weidenmuller sued Minaj and Petty over an alleged backstage assault at a 2019 concert in Frankfurt. A Los Angeles court entered an approximately $503,000 civil default judgment after they did not respond. In January 2026, Weidenmuller’s lawyer said the judgment had been satisfied and a requested property sale would not proceed; the terms were not publicly disclosed.
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The short answer: Kenneth “Zoo” Petty is Nicki Minaj’s husband and the father of her son. They reconnected in 2018, Minaj announced their marriage on October 21, 2019, and they welcomed their son in September 2020. Petty’s criminal record includes a 1995 conviction for attempted first-degree rape and a 2006 conviction for first-degree manslaughter—not murder—followed by a federal failure-to-register conviction and later home-detention sanctions. Civil lawsuits involving Jennifer Hough and a German security guard should be reported as separate civil matters, not folded into those criminal convictions.
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