Nicki Minaj is the latest artist to emerge as an anti-vaxxer, and her reasoning for her stance is because she alleges it made her cousin’s friend in Trinidad’s testicles became “swollen”.
The rapper decided to bring up the topic when she discussed why she was absent from the Met Gala after a fan alerted her that her last public appearance came over 12 months ago. Explaining why she’s been out of the public eye, Minaj said, “I have an infant with no nannies during COVID. Who mad? Not risking his health to be seen.”
Minaj then suggested that while preparing to record a video for the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday evening, she’d caught COVID while on set. She posted on Twitter, “Do u know what it is [like to] not to be able to kiss or hold your tiny baby for over a week? A baby who is only used to his mama?”
“They want you to get vaccinated for the Met,” she said on her next post, which backs up a report from the New York Times which stated attendees need a negative test, proof of vaccination, and also need to wear a mask unless they are eating.
She added, “If I get vaccinated it won’t [be] for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now. In the meantime my loves, be safe. Wear the mask with 2 strings that grips your head & face. Not that loose one.” It hinted that Minaj’s research skills would outweigh those of the global scientific community.
Things then took a strange twist when Minaj stated that a friend of her cousin’s in Trinidad “became impotent” and “his testicles became swollen”.
“His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding,” Minaj told her millions of followers before adding “just pray on it” and “make sure you’re comfortable with [your] decision [to get vaccinated], not bullied”.
There has been a lot of misinformation spread on the link between fertility and vaccinations. However, United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state there is no evidence between them.
Additionally, the NHS back that notion up, noting, “there’s no evidence the COVID-19 vaccines have any effect on your chances of becoming pregnant.”