On Thursday, the trial of Nicki Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj, commenced as an attorney for the 37-year-old, who has been accused of raping his then 11-year-old stepdaughter repeatedly over eight months, told jurors that the charges are based on lies.
Back in 2015, Maraj was arrested and charged with predatory sexual assault of a child. Officials say Maraj’s semen was found on the victim’s pajamas, and he reportedly threatened that she would be taken away from her family if she told anyone what happened between them.
However, Maraj’s attorney claims the charges are based on lies used to extort his sister out of $25 million. According to David Schwarts, the victim’s mother, Jacqueline Robinson, forced the children to lie to officials in an attempt to pull off an extortion plot. He says she also contacted Minaj, saying, the charges would go away if the rapper paid up.
As a result, according to TMZ, the rapper will take the stand in her brother’s defense to double down on the extortion claims. She will reportedly be the star witness in the case. However, it remains unclear when she is scheduled to take the stand.
