The ongoing Nicki Minaj social media saga involving discussions about swollen testicles and the COVID-19 vaccine took another turn earlier today (September 17) when the rapper shared that journalist Sharlene Rampersad was targeting her family member. Minaj uploaded screenshots to her social media accounts showing someone from Guardian Media threatened to expose her relative's address and seemingly harassed them, and soon, the Barbz fell in line and targeted the journalist.
Now, Guardian Media has issued a statement about the controversy in which they claimed that Rampersad received death threats.
"Today, in the legitimate pursuit of a story that has both local and international interest, one of our journalists has been subjected to a range of attacks via social media including death threats," they reportedly stated. "This is unacceptable and we have taken all measures within our control to ensure her safety and security."
The statement continues:
At Guardian Media Ltd. we denounce intimidation of journalists in any form. Balanced reporting which presents all perspectives is fundamental to the democratic process and we will continue to champion vigorously the freedom of the press.
The use of aggression on social media to intimidate can have adverse physical and psychological effects on people. As a responsible media house, we encourage others to stand up against this type of behaviour as we can all make a difference in addressing this global challenge posed by the pervasive nature of social media.
Minaj has not yet commented on this statement, but she previously shared that she is ready for this controversy to end. While the company stood against cyberbullying, they did not address the validity of the messages and did not say that the journalist was not responsible for them.