Nicki Minaj Pulls Out Of Saudi Arabia Show In Support Of Women’s, Gay Rights

Nicki Minaj is reportedly backing out of her scheduled concert this month in Saudia Arabia to show her support for women’s and gay rights.

Nicki was originally slated to play the Jeddah World Fest on July 18 but after “careful reflection” the “Megatron” rapper pulled out, as The Hill reports.

“After careful reflection, I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest. While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression,” Minaj told the AP in a statement.

Last week, the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement calling on Nicki Minaj and other artists to withdraw from the festival, citing Saudi Arabia’s strict rules for women and their enforcement of gender segregation.

Former One Direction member Liam Payne and DJ Steve Aoki are other artists who are among those scheduled to perform at the event.