Nicki Minaj’s Mom Shares Sweet Photo Of Grandson ‘Papa Bear’ As He Celebrates 1st Birthday
Happy birthday, Papa Bear! Nicki Minaj’s mom shared a sweet photo of her grandson (and penned him a touching poem) for his first birthday.
They grow up so fast. Nicki Minaj‘s mom Carol penned a sweet tribute to her grandson, affectionately nicknamed “Papa Bear,” for his first birthday. The Maraj matriarch shared a closeup photo of Papa Bear on Instagram on October 1 to wish him a happy birthday with a poem.
“Happy Birthday Papa Bear,” Carol began.
“I look into your eyes and I linger there
What striking good looks Papa Bear
May you grow up to live against the status quo
But trust in Jesus as you go.
May you make a difference in your generation, I pray
It’s a pleasure to wish you
Happy 1st Birthday.”
The rapper, 38, welcomed Papa Bear, her first child, with husband Kenneth Petty at the end of September 2020. Nicki announced her pregnancy in July of that year with an Instagram photo of a pregnancy photoshoot, shot by photographer David LaChapelle. “#Preggers. Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement & gratitude,” she wrote at the time. “Thank you all for the well wishes.”
Nicki and Kenneth wed in October 2019. During a Twitter Q&A with fans on September 9, Nicki revealed that she wanted to expand her family following the arrival of Papa Bear. When a fan asked Nicki whether Papa Bear would be her only child or if she wanted her “family to grow,” she responded with a “grow.” She also revealed how motherhood has changed her as a person.
“More patience & understanding with everyone,” Nicki responded. “He makes me so happy.” The arrival of Papa Bear came amid controversy for the rapper and her husband. In August 13, Jennifer Hough, the woman who accused Kenneth of rape in 1994 when the two were teenagers, filed a lawsuit against the couple, alleging harassment and intimidation.
Jennifer accused the couple of trying to force her to recant her allegations. HollywoodLife has reached out to Nicki’s rep for comment, but has not received a response. Kenneth was convicted of attempted first-degree rape in 1995, serving under four years in prison. In September 2021, Kenneth pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in the state of California.
On September 22, Jennifer appeared on The Real in her first on-screen interview, breaking her silence on the lawsuit. “I’m tired of being afraid,” she said. “I feel like the actions that were taken in regards to this whole situation have put me in a different type of fear at my age now and it was wrong. And I don’t want to be afraid anymore. So, the only way not to be afraid is to continue to speak up.”