Nicki Minaj was forced to cancel her Pink Friday 2: Gag City tour stop in Manchester on Saturday evening and will instead reschedule the event following her arrest on Saturday morning in Amsterdam.
Around mid-afternoon on Saturday, Netherlands police released a statement on Twitter informing that Minaj was fined and released for carrying “soft drugs” into the European country. Minaj had live-streamed her arrest on Saturday morning, sparking concern for her safety amid allegations that she was being sabotaged on her tour.
“We have just released a 41-year-old American woman who we arrested this afternoon at Schiphol on suspicion of exporting soft drugs. After consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect was fined and can continue her journey,” the statement by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the official X account said.
In the meantime, Nicki Minaj released a statement to fans already at the packed venue for her Manchester gig.
“Nicki Minaj’s scheduled performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday, 25th May, has been postponed. Tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled performance, which will be announced ASAP,” the statement began. “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. More information will be available at your point of purchase.”
In the meantime, videos from the venue showed an announcer reading the statement while thousands of her fans expressed loud disappointment at the event’s postponement.
“What the f**k,” one fan is heard saying after the statement is read.
“Boo,” other fans could be heard saying.
In the meantime, fans of the artist have expressed anger and sympathy for her and the situation. Many took to social media to question whether Minaj was not set up after she could be heard talking to authorities about her bags, which had already been taken away.
The latest mishap for Minaj comes after she announced that she had completed the first leg of her US tour and that it was so successful that she would add additional dates starting in September.
In a lengthy statement on Instagram, Nicki Minaj thanks her fans for their support as she rest in a hotel in Manchester. “Thank you to everyone who prayed for me today,” she wrote. “May God cover you & all that is connected to you. May you be blessed beyond your imagination.”
Nicki continues, “Barbz, I’m @ the stock exchange hotel in #Manchester I arrived a little over an hour ago. After sitting in a jail cell for 5-6 hours, my plane still didn’t take off for another 20 mins once I boarded.”
She also shared that her lawyer will handle the situation in Amsterdam surrounding her arrest allegedly for drug possession. “They succeeded at their plan to not let me get on that stage tonight,” she said. “I succeeded @ getting to the root of it all by recording them & posting everything in real time. I have sooooooooo much video evidence. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. I’ll have the lawyers & GOD take it from here tho.”
Nicki Minaj assured her fans that she will be taking the stage at her show in Birmingham tomorrow.
