Everything We Learned From Jennifer Hough’s ‘The Real’ Interview on Kenneth Petty’s Alleged Rape

In a new interview, Jennifer Hough, the alleged rape victim of Kenneth Petty speaks out about the 1994 incident and shares details about harassment at the hands of Nicki Minaj and Petty.

Trigger warning: this article contains details of rape and sexual assault.

Nicki Minaj has been in hot water for the past few weeks. Mainly due to the fact that she shared her anti-vaccine viewpoints on social media. There’s also been a lot of murmuring online about whether or not she decided to share these thoughts to distract fans and others from the ongoing lawsuit that includes allegations against her and her husband Kenneth Petty. The suit explicitly calls out the couple and alleges they’ve been intimidating and harassing Petty’s alleged sexual assault victim, Jennifer Hough. 

On Wednesday, Hough made an appearance on The Real, a daytime show. During her 11-minute slot, she publicly spoke about what she’s been battling with over the years following the 1994 incident that changed her life. While she spoke, Hough sat beside her attorney Tony Blackburn and she candidly discussed the harrowing rape that she claims happened when she and Petty were 16 years old.

Below we’re sharing everything worth knowing about Jennifer Hough’s appearance on The Real. 

The Latest On The Harassment Case

On August 13th, Hough filed a lawsuit stating that the couple has been harassing her to recant her report that Petty raped her in 1994. The suit accuses Nicki Minaj and Petty of  “intentional infliction of emotional distress and alleges sexual assault and battery, referring to the 1994 incident.”

According to The New York Times, Hough “has not worked since May of 2020 due to severe depression, paranoia, constant moving, harassment and threats from the defendants and their associates,” reads the lawsuit. She is currently fearing for her life. 

Jennifer Hough Recalls The Harrowing Rape

Hough speaks in detail about being led away from a bus stop as she has previously alleged by Kenneth Petty who she believes had a knife. She adds that after the sexual assault which consisted of him pinning her down, to escape she threw something on Petty and ran away to high school where she first shared the experience with a representative from her school. Additionally, she states she was led to the hospital and Petty was arrested. 

Her retelling of the story also includes declaring that though Minaj and her fans have ran with the idea that Petty and she were a couple that is untrue. After the incident, Petty pled guilty to attempted rape and served four and a half years in prison. To clarify, Hough shares her family tried to get her to recant her statement the day of Petty’s case due to harassment. She also said she declared publicly in court that she wanted to not press charges, but this did not mean the assault did not happen. 

Jennifer Hough On Whether Justice Was Served Years Ago

On the topic of whether Hough believes justice was served or not years ago, she shares: “I don’t think I thought about justice because I was still blaming myself.” She adds, “I thought it was something that I did or didn't do, so I don't think I thought about if I got justice, I just knew he did what he did and he went to jail. I had to leave my family, I had to leave my home and I had to move away.”

Jennifer Hough's Reaction After Learning of Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty’s Marriage

 During this point of the interview, Hough expressed her thoughts on the couple’s announcement that they were preparing for marriage. “I was so afraid of being found out. I was so afraid as being known as the person he violated,” she said. “I didn’t want that to reflect on my children.”

Also, Hough addresses the notion that Minaj has shared on social media claiming Petty and her were a couple and that Petty was 15, while Hough was 16. She says that seeing the rapper allege this was “like reliving it again because that was a lie.” Hough also said: “We were both 16, we were never in a relationship. I just felt woman to woman that was wrong of her.”

Why Is Jennifer Hough Finally Speaking Out?

When tasked with sharing why she is candidly discussing these years she’s spent fearing for her life, Hough says, “I’m tired of being afraid. 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." She also says, "The only way to continue not to be afraid is to speak up.”

On Nicki and Petty's alleged harassment she states: "They were wrong and you can't and shouldn't do this to people. What they did to me and my family wasn't okay. It doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter what your status is, you can't intimidate people to make things go better for you, and that's what they did."

Stay tuned here as more news emerges. Watch the interview below.