Nicki Minaj left fans baffled after calling Princess Diana her “dear friend” while holding a “moment of silence” at her concert in the UK.
The ‘Super Freaky Girl’ rapper was performing on stage in Birmingham, England, on 26 May when she handed her pink microphone to a fan who announced that he was from Wales.
Seizing the moment, the 41-year-old smiled and linked his hometown with the late princess, who held the title of Princess of Wales during her marriage to King Charles III.
“Wales! It always reminds me of a dear friend of mine… well, she’s not here anymore, but the Princess of Wales,” Minaj said in a fake British accent, as captured in a viral TikTok video.
After the crowd cheered, she called for a “moment of silence” for the late princess, who died 26 years ago in a car crash. The rapper then held the microphone to her chest and looked down for a few seconds as the audience quieted down, before she promptly moved on.
Many fans were caught off-guard by Minaj’s sudden tribute and took to the comments to tease her for calling Princess Diana her “dear friend.”
“Since when is the Princess of Wales a dear friend to her,” one person wrote. “A dear friend of mine… She was 14 when Diana died,” another pointed out.
“The way the minute’s silence was 3 and a half seconds,” a third quipped. “Nicki Minaj holding a minute’s silence for Princess Diana is not what I ever expected to see in my life,” someone else said.
The Grammy-nominated artist has previously expressed her love for the late princess, and shared that her 2018 album ‘Queen’ was inspired by her. Minaj’s shoutout most likely was also a nod to her 2023 hit song ‘Princess Diana’ featuring Ice Spice.
The rapper has been making headlines throughout her Pink Friday 2 tour, including being forced to postpone a show after getting arrested for alleged drug possession in Amsterdam.