Nicki Minaj’s $20 million mansion narrowly escaped auction after she settled a $503,000 judgment at the last moment.

In a dramatic turn of events, Nicki Minaj narrowly avoided losing her luxurious $20 million mansion located in Hidden Hills, California. The rapper was just one signature away from a court-ordered auction of her property, linked to a significant court judgment stemming from a past legal dispute. Thanks to a last-minute payment, Minaj has retained her home and averted the sale.

Background of the Dispute

The legal battle dates back to March 2019, during a performance in Frankfurt, Germany. Reports indicate that a fan broke through security and approached the stage, prompting Minaj to express her frustration towards a female security guard backstage. Thomas Weidenmüller, the head of security at the venue, intervened, attempting to de-escalate the situation.

According to Weidenmüller, Minaj directed her anger towards him, resulting in a heated confrontation where she allegedly threw a shoe that barely missed him. Following this incident, he was summoned to her dressing room, where Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, Minaj’s then-boyfriend, allegedly assaulted him, striking him without warning and fracturing his jaw. Following the attack, Weidenmüller underwent multiple surgeries and faced a lengthy recovery involving several medical procedures.

In January 2022, Weidenmüller filed a lawsuit against Minaj and Petty for assault and negligence. Efforts to serve the couple with legal papers at their gated residence were unsuccessful, prompting the court to issue a default judgment in March 2024, ultimately awarding Weidenmüller $503,318, significantly less than his initial claim but still placing both defendants at fault.

Threat of Property Auction

Following unsuccessful attempts to collect the judgment through garnishments, Weidenmüller pursued the extreme measure of requesting the forced sale of Minaj’s primary residence. Public records indicate that she purchased the Hidden Hills mansion in December 2022 for approximately $19.5 million. The property has a mortgage of about $13.26 million and qualifies for a $722,151 homestead exemption under California law. Given the home’s estimated value of nearly $20 million, Weidenmüller’s legal team calculated around $6 million in available equity, sufficient to cover the judgment and related costs.

Importantly, California law permits creditors to seek a home sale without exhausting other collection methods. Weidenmüller’s attorneys argued this drastic step was necessary due to Minaj’s repeated disregard for payment requests, despite her financial capacity to settle the judgment amicably. During a November hearing, Judge Cindy Pánuco indicated her readiness to grant the request, pending a Bank of America statement confirming Minaj’s mortgage payments and interest accrual. With the absence of this document, the ruling was postponed until January 22.

Avoiding a Legal Crisis

Just before the court hearing could lead to a signed order for the sale, Minaj settled the judgment in full, averting the impending auction. Had the judge issued the order, the home’s sale would have been managed through the courts, where proceeds would pay off the lender first, followed by the judgment and finally returning any surplus to Minaj.

Instead, her timely payment brought the legal proceedings to an abrupt halt. This decision not only prevented a forced sale but also highlighted how close she came to facing one of the rare instances where a high-profile celebrity’s residence was nearly seized over a seemingly trivial judgment in the context of their overall wealth.

Such escalations are uncommon, especially for high-net-worth individuals like Minaj, who reportedly has a net worth in the nine-figure range. Her case illustrates that the threat of a forced sale often acts as a decisive lever in negotiations, illustrating how one crucial document stood between her home and its potential auction. Upon realization of the imminent legal consequences, the settlement was finalized.