Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj‘s battle is reaching rapper-esque proportions amidst rumors of death threats and beefed up security while entertainers continue to downplay the incident as theatrics.
Barbara Walters reported on “The View” on Thursday that she spoke with Carey, who said she was concerned because “Nicki walked off the set and multiple people heard Nicki say, ‘If I had a gun I would shoot the bitch.'” Walters said that as a result of Minaj’s comment, Carey said she would be adding to her security detail. That appeared to be the case at a photo shoot in Baton Rouge on Thursday where Carey had a full police escort presumably to shield her from bullets, as well as an umbrella holder to protect her from the equally harmful effects of the sun.
The Diva dispute stems from a word spar during a recent taping of American Idol in which Minaj, clearly unfamiliar with the concept of respecting elders, becomes verbally aggressive towards Carey. To be fair, Carey’s response is barely audible in the video, but apparently her retort added fuel to Minaj’s rage. Minaj eventually stormed off the set and taping was called off for the rest of the day.
“I think it’s entertainment for everybody, is it not?” The Voice judge Cee Lo Green told TMZ. “This is Hollywood, California. Hardly anything is legit.”
Legit or not, the dispute casts a negative light on two women who are, like it or not, role models for young women around the world. If the cat fight is a concoction aimed at increasing American Idol ratings, then perhaps it’s time for the show to call it quits if going ghetto is the best ratings raising tactic.
Earlier this week, Nick Cannon spoke up in defense of his wife during an Access Hollywood interview, also downplaying the dispute. “If you watch the video, [Mariah] just maintains her composure. … I don’t think she’s moved by the theatrics and pageantry of it all. She signed up to do a job to help young people. … This is like a sidebar.”
