Nicki Minaj's ex-lawyers seek $295,605 over unpaid fees

Former legal representatives of American rapper Nicki Minaj have renewed their bid to recover $295,605 in unpaid legal fees, asking a Los Angeles court to enter a default judgment against her.

The law firm, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, filed the renewed request on November 3, claiming that Minaj and her company, Harajuku Barbie Music LLC, had failed to respond to its lawsuit seeking payment.

The firm told the Los Angeles County Superior Court that its March lawsuit “has not been responded to in any way by [the rapper]”, adding that more than 30 days had passed since she was served.

A hearing on the application has been scheduled for November 16.

According to court filings, the outstanding legal fees amount to $229,541.75, while contractual late fees stand at $25,249.51. Interest and court costs have brought the total claim to $295,605.

Minaj reportedly signed the legal services agreement with the firm in October 2024.

The dispute arose from a copyright lawsuit filed by songwriter Julius Johnson, who accused the rapper of copying the instrumentation and beat of his song, “onmysleeve”, in her 2014 track, “I Lied”.

The copyright case was eventually settled privately and dismissed. However, the lawyers who represented Minaj in the dispute allege that she failed to pay their bills.

The renewed court filing also coincided with Minaj's appearance outside a polling station in New Hampshire, where she reportedly expressed support for Republican candidates.

The latest legal dispute comes months after the rapper faced another financial claim. In January, she avoided the court-ordered sale of her $20m Los Angeles mansion after paying a $500,000 default judgment secured by a security guard.

Minaj's representatives had not responded to a request for comment at the time of the report.

The court has yet to grant the law firm's request. If Minaj does not respond before the November 16 hearing, the judge may decide the application based on the firm's filings.