Nicki Minaj Faces Default Judgment in Dispute Over Alleged Unpaid Legal Fees

Nicki Minaj is now facing a push for default judgment after a law firm accused her of failing to answer a lawsuit over allegedly unpaid legal fees tied to one of her earlier copyright battles.

According to documents obtained by TMZ on Monday (July 13), Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP says Minaj ignored the firm’s March complaint, which sought $229,541 for work the firm says it performed on her behalf. The claim stems from legal representation connected to a copyright infringement case brought against the rapper several years ago.

Because there was no response to the original filing, Gordon Rees has asked the court to enter a default judgment. A hearing is set for September, when a judge will decide whether to grant the request. If that happens, Minaj could be ordered to pay the amount sought without the case being argued on its merits.

The underlying matter dates back to a 2023 copyright suit filed by musician Julius Johnson, who alleged that Minaj and producer Mike Will Made It “directly copied” his 2011 beat “onmysleeve” for the 2014 Pinkprint track “I Lied.” In the lawsuit, Johnson claimed the beat had been stored on a hard drive that was stolen from a 2013 session in Atlanta, at a studio accessible to Minaj and Mike WiLL’s associates.

Elsewhere in that case, a confidential settlement was reached in early December 2024. The matter was then dismissed with prejudice later that month, closing the copyright dispute for good.

Minaj has not publicly responded to either the fee dispute or the earlier copyright case.