Nicki Minaj, husband Kenneth Petty welcome first child

Rapper, model and singer Nicki Minaj and husband Kenneth Petty welcomed their first child Wednesday, according to multiple reports.

Minaj gave birth in Los Angeles, People and TMZ reported. The baby’s gender and name were not immediately released.

The Grammy-nominated artist announced her pregnancy on Instagram in July, saying that she was “overflowing with excitement & gratitude.”

Minaj told Vogue Italia in 2014 that she hoped to eventually become a full-time mom.

“I don’t want to work all my life and never experience the joys of a family,” she said. “It isn’t time yet, but when I decide to get married and become a mother, I would like to take a break and devote myself completely to my child.”

In September 2019, Minaj alarmed fans when she said on social media that she had decided to retire and start her family, but she later walked back the comments and apologized for the abrupt announcement, Cosmopolitan reported.

Minaj and Petty wed in October 2019. They had previously dated as teenagers and sparked up a relationship after reconnecting in 2018, Us Weekly reported.

Their relationship has not been entirely without controversy. In March, Petty surrendered to federal authorities after failing to properly register as a sex offender following a 1995 first-degree rape conviction, USA Today reported.

Minaj has consistently slammed critics of her relationship with Petty.

Cox Media Group