We started this year wishing Nicki Minaj would step out of the shadows and release an album. The star had been on a social media hiatus and we were craving to hear news from the Queen of Rap. Who knew that 2018 would turn out to be a publicity nightmare for her? From her feud with Cardi B to her private messages being leaked and her recent Grammy snub, Minaj has faced a lot of scrutiny over the last few months.

Now, there's this to add to the list. Learn More For a while, Nicki has been teasing the identity of her "new boy." She appeared to be spending time with Lewis Hamilton but now, that seems to be over. Instead, she's swapped him in for somebody that bears a striking resemblance to a convicted rapist who assaulted a 16-year-old.

According to E! News, the man pictured in Minaj's cuddly photos is Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender in the state of New York. The two have been spotted together over the course of the last few weeks and his identity alarmed some of her fans. Nicki has a bad pattern of aligning herself with men who have committed sex crimes. Her brother has been convicted for a similar crime, she got close with 6ix9ine, and now she's dating Kenneth Petty.

Who are we to judge her for her personal life at the end of the day? However, this is not sitting well with some fans.