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Why Nicki Minaj Removed Her Husband Kenneth Petty’s Last Name From Her Social Media Pages

Nicki Minaj Removed Her Husband Kenneth Pettys Last Name From Her Social Media Pages
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty in New York City on February 12, 2020. MEGA

Nicki Minaj is still “Mrs. Petty” even though she removed her married name from her social media accounts, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

Related: Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty's Relationship Timeline

“They’re still together,” the source says of the rapper, 37, and her husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. “Nicki has new music on the way, so she’s preparing for the next era and readjusted her social media channels accordingly.”

Minaj changed her name to “Mrs. Petty” on Twitter and Instagram in August 2019, two months before she married the registered sex offender, 42, in a low-key ceremony in Los Angeles. However, she raised eyebrows earlier this week when she updated her Twitter moniker to “YIKES,” which is the title of her latest single, and Instagram to her nickname “Barbie.”

Related: Celebrity Weddings of 2020

The couple went public with their relationship in December 2018, but they previously dated as teenagers in their native Queens, New York, before the Grammy winner became famous.

“We were like this about each other since we were very young kids in the hood. He was on my body b4 the big ol’ ghetto booty. B4 the fame & fortune,” Minaj tweeted in January 2019. “Fought my bf cuz I wouldn’t be his girl. He was always a lil brazy. But anyway, timing is everything.”

The pair’s rekindled romance quickly became serious. Petty got a large tattoo of the “Starships” singer’s real first name, Onika, on his neck the same month that they became Instagram official. Not long after, a source told Us exclusively that the lovebirds had talked about starting a family.

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“Nicki is absolutely head over heels in love with Kenny. She fell hard and fast. She hasn’t smiled this much in a long time,” the source said at the time. “Nicki has always wanted to become a mother, and that’s something she and Kenny have discussed. She really believes that he has changed since his troublesome days, but some of her friends are still a bit wary.”

Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995 and pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 2006. He served several years in prison for the crimes. More recently, Petty was arrested in March for failing to register as a sex offender upon moving to California. He subsequently pleaded not guilty and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor, abide by a curfew, surrender his passport and restrict travel to Southern California.

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