Nicki Minaj Faces Default Judgment Bid Over Unpaid Legal Fees

A judge will decide in September whether Nicki Minaj must pay more than $229,000 after a law firm accused the rapper of ignoring its lawsuit.

Nicki Minaj is facing a new legal challenge after a law firm asked a court to enter a default judgment against the rapper over claims she failed to pay more than $229,000 in legal fees.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP filed a motion seeking a default judgment after alleging Minaj never responded to a lawsuit the firm filed in March. The firm claims the rapper owes $229,541 for legal services it provided while representing her in a copyright infringement case.

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If the court grants the request, Minaj could be ordered to pay the full amount sought without the case proceeding through a full trial. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for September.

The legal fees stem from the firm’s work defending Minaj in a copyright lawsuit brought by musician Julius Johnson in 2023. Johnson alleged that Minaj and producer Mike WiLL Made-It copied elements of his 2011 beat, “onmysleeve,” for Minaj’s 2014 song “I Lied,” which appeared on her The Pinkprint album.

In the lawsuit, Johnson claimed the instrumental was stored on a hard drive that was stolen following a 2013 recording session at an Atlanta studio. He alleged individuals associated with Minaj and Mike WiLL Made-It had access to the material before it was allegedly used.

That copyright dispute was resolved through a confidential settlement in December 2024 and was dismissed with prejudice, permanently closing the case.

As of now, Minaj has not publicly addressed either the law firm’s lawsuit over the alleged unpaid legal fees or the motion seeking a default judgment. A judge is expected to consider the firm’s request at the September hearing.