LOS ANGELES — Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, the husband of renowned rapper Nicki Minaj, faces legal consequences for his recent threats towards fellow artist Offset on social media. A judge has determined that Petty’s actions are in violation of his probation, resulting in a sentence of 120 days of house arrest.
Court documents, shared on Twitter by reporter Meghann Cuniff on Wednesday, reveal the details of this legal development. Petty had taken to Instagram Live to call out Offset, a former member of the hip-hop group Migos, leading to the judge’s decision.
Petty, 45, had previously received a sentence of three years probation and one year of house detention in July 2022. This sentence stemmed from his failure to register as a sex offender in the state of California, where he and Nicki Minaj relocated in 2019, shortly before their marriage.
The sex offender status, dating back to a 1995 conviction for the first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl, resulted in Petty spending four years in prison. The victim, Jennifer Hough, filed a lawsuit against both Petty and Nicki Minaj in August 2021, alleging harassment and intimidation. However, Nicki Minaj was later dropped from the lawsuit.
The court order stated, “Mr. Petty was recorded on video making threatening remarks towards a specific individual while in the company of someone with a criminal record. This recent violation conduct raises concerns over Mr. Petty’s willingness to comply with the Court’s orders.”
The order, signed by Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, further explains that Petty’s placement in the Location Monitoring Program is intended to provide closer supervision of his activities, restrict his movements, impose sanctions for non-compliance, and, ideally, encourage self-reflection on his community standing.
The document also indicates that Petty and his defense counsel consented to the modification of his probation and waived a personal appearance before the court, signifying his compliance with the decision.
This legal development adds another layer to the ongoing legal challenges faced by Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, whose actions and past continue to make headlines.
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