Washington: In an unexpected turn of events, Nicki Minaj's highly anticipated Manchester concert was postponed following the rapper's arrest at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
The singer was detained on suspicion of carrying marijuana, causing a disruption in her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, as confirmed by Deadline.
Her fans, known as Barbz, who had gathered at the Co-op Live arena, were informed of the concert's cancellation through a loudspeaker announcement.
The message conveyed the disappointment and frustration shared by both the fans and Minaj's team, "Despite Nicki's best efforts to explore every possible avenue to make tonight's show happen, the events of today have made it impossible. We are deeply disappointed by the inconvenience this has caused," as per Deadline.
The venue assured concertgoers that their tickets would remain valid for the rescheduled performance, the details of which will be announced soon.
According to Deadline, the Dutch police confirmed that Minaj was released from custody after agreeing to pay an undisclosed fine for "illegally exporting soft drugs from the Netherlands to another country."
Nicki Minaj took to social media to document her ordeal, expressing her frustration and suggesting that there was a deliberate effort to thwart her tour. "They've been trying to stop me from coming to every show. They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they're waiting on customs. This is what it looks like when ppl are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they've done is illegal," she shared with her followers.
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In a subsequent post on X/Twitter, Minaj detailed the specific allegations, noting, "Now they said they found weed & that another group of ppl have to come here to weigh the pre-rolls. Keep in mind they took my bags without consent. My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him."
The incident has sparked a wave of speculation and concern among fans, with many questioning the motives behind the airport intervention.
Minaj's belief that the actions were intended to delay her Manchester performance has added fuel to the fire of controversy.
—ANI