Nicki Minaj pays tribute to ‘dear friend’ Princess Diana at UK concert, apologises over arrest row

American rapper Nicki Minaj’s European leg of ‘Pink City 2’ tour faced a setback when she was arrested in Amsterdam for alleged possession of soft drugs. After being briefly detained and subsequently released, her Manchester show was cancelled, disappointing fans.

Determined to win back her British audience, Nicki's Birmingham show was quite a spectacle. In a surprising move, the rapper paid homage to a beloved UK figure – Princess Diana.

During Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour in Birmingham at Resorts World Arena, the rapper took a poignant moment to honour the late Princess Diana. Despite being only 14 when Diana died, Minaj called her a ‘dear friend.’

With the crowd cheering, Nicki urged everyone to observe a minute of silence in remembrance of Diana, who tragically died nearly 26 years ago.

Halting the concert, Nicki shouted in her best British accent, ‘Wales – it always reminds me of a dear friend of mine, well she’s not here anymore, but the Princess of Wales. Let’s have a moment of silence for her.’

Although the crowd might have found this gesture endearing or confusing, it didn't sit well with netizens. They were visibly surprised by the rapper referring to the beloved princess as her ‘dear friend.’ Many speculated that the shoutout was likely a reference to Nicki's 2023 hit song ‘Princess Diana,’ featuring rapper Ice Spice. The song's theme revolves around being royalty and commanding respect in one's life, just like Princess Diana.

About Nicki’s arrest

Nicki's airport detention became the top trend of the day. During a live stream, officials approached her for a bag check, which she alleged was preplanned. This incident led to the cancellation of her scheduled performance at Co-op Live Arena on May 25. After paying a fine of €350, she was released and allowed to continue her journey. She announced her rescheduled performance at the Manchester venue for the following Monday via social media, writing, ‘I apologize for all the inconvenience this has caused. I really hope you can make the June 3rd show. It'll be really special.’

According to Dutch police, the rapper was found with between 30 and 100 grams of marijuana, but she claimed it belonged to a security guard. ‘I’ll let the lawyers and God handle this,’ she wrote on X. ‘They knew exactly how to get to me today, but this too shall pass,’ she added.

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