“Swatting,” as a practice, is both a uniquely annoying waste of everyone’s time in a life already saddled with the fleeting nature of human existence and a potentially harmful practice favorited by presumed morons. Now, per multiple reports, Nicki Minaj has (again) been targeted in such efforts, though she’s not believed to have been home at the time of the alleged fake 911 call.
TMZ, citing police sources, said the swatting in question occurred on Wednesday night, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department getting a call from someone claiming that an assault had taken place at the Pink Friday 2 artist’s home in the Hidden Hills area. The publication also reported that Minaj was not home at the time.
Meanwhile, a separate report from the Los Angeles Times adds more details. According to that report, law enforcement received a claim of “an assault with a deadly weapon” taking place, with the unidentified caller claiming that someone had been shot. Authorities, however, were reportedly quick to realize that this was merely a swatting, as responding law enforcement officials did not find any evidence backing up the caller’s claims.
As of this writing, Nicki herself had not publicly commented on the incident. Complex has reached out to reps for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Nicki Minaj for comment. This story may be updated.
This isn’t the first time Nicki has been made the subject of alleged swattings, nor is it the first instance of a public figure being targeted in such a manner. Far from it, in fact. In November, for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger's residence, also located in the Los Angeles area, was hit with a fake bomb threat during the Thanksgiving holiday. As with the latest Minaj incident, the Terminator actor and former California governor was reportedly not home at the time.
