David LaChapelleNicki Minaj is pregnant!
The Grammy nominee is expecting her first child with husband Kenneth Petty, she announced on social media Monday, July 20. Along with her "#Preggers" post, Minaj also shared a series of photos with her baby bump, including one shot by famed photographer David LaChapelle.
This pregnancy announcement comes nine months after Minaj confirmed her marriage to Petty. As fans will recall, Minaj took to social media to share the relationship update, writing, "Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 10•21•19." Three months prior to Minaj's big day, E! News confirmed that the couple had officially obtained a marriage license at the Beverly Hills Courthouse.
Speaking out about her relationship with Petty, the 37-year-old rapper previously confessed, "I think I have what I was striving for, just happiness. It was so hard to get to a happy place. Now that I'm there, I don't want to compromise that for anyone or anything."
Petty and Minaj, who made their romance Instagram official in Dec. 2018, have shared a number of happy moments together over the years. And in more difficult times, she has stood by her man.
In the early days of their relationship, Minaj defended Petty after details about his past surfaced online. In April 1995, he was convicted of attempted rape in the first degree and reportedly served four years in New York state prison.
"He was 15, she was 16. In a relationship," Minaj wrote on social media in 2018. "But go awf Internet. Y'all can't run my life. Y'all can't even run y'all own life. Thank you boo."
Petty was also sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2006, after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in a separate case.
According to court documents filed on Feb. 25 and obtained by E! News, Petty was indicted by a grand jury for failure to register as a sex offender upon his relocation to Los Angeles from New York. In early March 2020, Petty surrendered to federal authorities and later pleaded not guilty. He was released on $100,000 bond and, days later, officially registered as a sex offender in California.
Through everything, Minaj has been by his side. Now, as Minaj and Petty enter this new chapter together, let's take a look back at their relationship over years.
The Grammy nominee confirmed her romance with Kenny in Dec. 2018, posting a photo of the duo together on Instagram. Nicki captioned the post with Adele lyrics, writing, "Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happens?... it's no secret... that the both of us... are running out of time."
Nicki made her relationship status clear with this photo, posting the picture to Instagram in December without a caption.
"Oh they wanna talk?" Nicki captioned this post. "Let's give'm smthn to talk about."
The rapper also included this photo in her something to talk about post.
The couple took a trip to the beach where they wrote their names in the sand. "Ken -N- Barbie," she captioned the beach pictures.
"Tryna lay low, don't tempt me sleeze," Nicki wrote alongside this selfie of the couple, quoting her "Barbie Goin Bad" lyrics.
In June, Nicki dropped her "MEGATRON" music video, featuring Kenny. "I'm Barbie, this is Ken #Megatron video out now," she wrote on Instagram.
Nicki, who has referred to Kenny as her "husband," continued to fuel marriage rumors. She even confirmed the couple obtained a marriage license. The artist would later confirm the couple's marriage in Oct. 2019.
The "Super Bass" star rocked a red ensemble and enjoyed a date night with her main man in July 2019.
The star posted a picture of the duo and included the hashtag #KenAndBarbie in August.
The two pose for a pic in September.
The two attended FENDI Prints On in Beverly Hills to celebrate the artist's collaboration with the brand.
Minaj announced on Instagram on July 20 that she's expecting her first child. Along with a series of photos of the star cradling her baby bump, the superstar rapper told fans that she's "#Preggers."
Welcome to parenthood! E! News confirmed that Minaj welcomed her first child into the world on Sept. 30, 2020 in Los Angeles.