Nicki Minaj Arrested in Amsterdam for Alleged Drug Possession, Cancels Manchester Concert

Authorities at the Amsterdam airport attempted to arrest rapper Nicki Minaj for alleged drug possession.

Nicki Minaj was arrested in Amsterdam on Saturday for allegedly carrying drugs, despite her repeated claims of innocence. The arrest, captured on Instagram Live, forced her to cancel a scheduled concert in Manchester, England.

Minaj was fined and allowed to continue her journey, Dutch officials confirmed on X. Video footage shows Minaj insisting she needed a lawyer present as officers prepared to take her into custody. An officer mentioned her Manchester concert, stating they would try to get her there as soon as possible. However, the arrest ultimately led to the show's cancellation.

Minaj documented the incident in a live stream on Instagram.

In another video, Minaj is seen questioning an officer about why her bags weren't searched before boarding the plane. The officer responded that they suspected her of carrying drugs and were upset she had filmed them. Dutch police confirmed the arrest of a 41-year-old American woman at Schiphol Airport for possessing soft drugs.

Minaj posted on X that the police claimed to have found weed in her belongings and that another group was coming to weigh the pre-rolls. She noted that her bags were taken without consent and that her security had already informed the police that the pre-rolls belonged to him. The incident delayed her flight by at least two hours.

Minaj initially refused to go with the officials without her lawyer present.

Co-op Live, the Manchester venue, announced that tickets would remain valid for a rescheduled concert. They expressed disappointment over the inconvenience caused by the incident, which prompted fans to rally on social media with the hashtag #FREENICKI.

Minaj posted on X that authorities claimed they found marijuana and confiscated her bags.

In Amsterdam, individuals can legally possess up to 5 grams of cannabis, but harder drugs remain illegal. Minaj's legal troubles continue to make headlines, as she and her husband Kenneth Petty recently faced a $500,000 settlement over an alleged assault on a German security guard in 2019. Petty, a registered sex offender with a criminal past, was sentenced to house arrest in 2020 for failing to register as a sex offender in California.

Despite their controversies, Minaj continues to defend her marriage to Petty, with whom she shares a child. Their relationship was recently mentioned in Megan Thee Stallion's diss track "Hiss," highlighting Petty's criminal record.