For global superstar Nicki Minaj and her fans, Saturday night was not as kind as they had hoped. Nicki was taken into custody at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on suspicion of having “soft drugs.” The event was partially live-streamed by the singer-songwriter. She was fined 350 euros ($380) and was released later without charges.
She made a public statement during her Sunday performance in Birmingham, but her Manchester gig had to be postponed, disappointing fans. Nicki Minaj, renowned for speaking her mind, responded to the online trolls who made fun of her recent detention at an airport. She reportedly says in a leaked video that she was detained for five or six hours, but still defiantly shouted,
“Guess who’s still winning!!!”
Nicki Minaj Addresses Fan Frustration After Airport Detention
On Saturday, fans eagerly entered the arena until 7:00 PM BST, expecting to see Nicki Minaj perform. However, the organizers did not announce the postponement until after 9:30 PM BST, the scheduled time for her to take the stage. Many fans who had traveled long distances for the concert, were furious and confused about not being informed at 7:00 PM BST.
“Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday 25 May has been postponed. Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance whichwill be announced as soon as possible.”
Nicki Minaj’s trip to the UK for a concert was delayed due to her arrest at the airport. Despite being released without charges, she missed her concert at Co-op Live in Manchester. Following her release, Nicki Minaj live-streamed on Instagram, and fans gathered outside her Manchester hotel. She apologized to them on social media and interacted with fans who had come to see her. Nicki Minaj consistently updated her fans about the arrest on Twitter.
“Now they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls. Keep in mind they took my bags without consent. My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him. Oh yea & the pilot wants me to take my ig post down.”
According to Dutch media sources, Nicki Minaj was detained at Amsterdam’s airport for allegedly possessing cannabis. Local authorities stated the quantity discovered was between 30-200 grams, which the artist categorically rejected, claiming the pre-rolled cannabis belonged to a member of her security detail.
The Netherlands has a complicated relationship with drugs. While having, selling, or producing drugs is legally prohibited, the government has a “tolerance policy” for tiny amounts of specific narcotics, mainly cannabis. The strategy permits authorities to focus on pursuing large-scale drug trafficking networks while ignoring the personal usage of small quantities.
Source: BBC
