Source: James Devaney / Getty
One fandom’s threats have resulted in legal action.
Nick Minaj’s fans are known to come to bat for the rapper anytime criticism is thrown her way, and Youtuber Kimberly Nicole Foster is the latest to feel that wrath, so she’s decided to sue them. It all began when Foster tweeted, “Nicki is so clearly a horrible person. Negativity sticks to her like glue. Idk if we’ve ever seen this before.”
https://twitter.com/KimberlyNFoster/status/1569231299109330945?s=20&t=551jusulr8wXEj0t9eDiGw
Once published, the abuse and hate tweets started. But in a new interview with The Daily Beast, Foster saw it as normal until the responses became more vicious.
“It was normal, annoying stuff where I was like, ‘OK, block and move on,’” Foster told The Daily Beast. “The messages became more threatening and dark, and then it started to be, ‘We’re gonna find you. I’m gonna kidnap you, I hope you get raped.’”
What makes the threats even more dangerous is that Minaj never reigns her fans in, and seemingly encourages it. In Foster’s situation, Minaj can be seen liking all the hateful tweeted aim at her.
In one screen-recorded video, the Youtuber is seen scrolling through Minaj’s likes tab, showing all the harassment.
https://twitter.com/KimberlyNFoster/status/1569377616473505793?s=20&t=soE9_lDqrbCyhBs-bUZbZA
Foster tells The Daily Beast that fans engage in the behavior and hope that in championing the MC, she’ll recognize them.
“There’s an understanding among the Barbz that the harder they go for her—the more virulent the nastiness—there’s more of an opportunity for her to recognize them,” she says.
For that, she’s decided to gather information about these dedicated Barbz, which includes phone numbers, Twitter handles, and IP addresses, to help strengthen her court case.
According to the article, Foster plans to file a lawsuit this week but is learning that there’s not much lawyers know about cyberbullying because it’s a relatively new form of harassment.
“In the conversations I’ve had this week, I’ve learned more and more how little precedent there is about online harassment,” Foster tells The Daily Beast. “A lot of the lawyers I’m talking to are guessing because there’s just not a lot of case law. Most people are not willing to spend the time and the money to see this stuff through. I’m absolutely willing to do that.”
Nicki Minaj has yet to respond to the controversy her fans have created.
