Botham Jean’s Family Lawyer Slams Nicki Minaj For Comments, Praises Cardi B

S. Lee Merritt, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B

Botham Jean’s Family Lawyer Slams Nicki Minaj For Comments, Praises Cardi B

The lawyer for Botham Jean’s family has commended Cardi B and criticized Nicki Minaj. 

Botham Jean

The trial for Botham Jean’s murder made headlines after he was shot and killed by Dallas police officer Amber Guyger. Guyger said she thought she was entering her own unit when she walked into Jean’s apartment and fired shots shortly after, thinking he was an intruder. She was recently sentenced to 10 years in jail.

S. Lee Merritt, who represented Jean’s family, took to Instagram Friday (Oct. 11), to share his thoughts on reactions to the trial. He first called out Nicki Minaj, who suggested that the key witness, Joshua Brown should have never testified after Brown was shot and killed just days after Guyger was sentenced.

Joshua Brown

It’s not clear if the two incidents are connected. Nicki Minaj also referenced a moment where Jean’s brother, Brandt Jean, hugged Guyger during the trial.

Merrit responded and slammed Nicki Minaj while commending artists like Rihanna and Cardi B who he says has been more compassionate toward the Jean family.

Rihanna

“@nickiminaj decided to shame the 18-year-old brother of #BothamJean for forgiving and embracing #AmberGuyger after she was convicted and sentenced for the murder of his brother. First, I have to welcome Nicki to the conversation. To date artist like @badgalriri, @iamcardib and a whole host of her colleagues have helped me advocate for justice for Botham and other victims of police brutality. Nicki has stood silent. But now she decides to take her huge platform and use it to attack a teenager grappling with the murder of his brother and the tenets of his faith.”

Merrit said that Nicki’s comment was “chilling” a major blow to Botham’s family.

“The Jean family has suffered. This beautiful, regal, proud, pious family has endured more pain and suffering than anyone deserves. They have reacted in a myriad of ways. His mom says she almost lost her faith. Botham’s sister has spent the past year almost constantly choked with anger. For his part Brandt has become reclusive and silent. When he chose to speak to the source of his family’s distress— he had the right to say and do whatever he needed to in order to get past this unthinkable tragedy. Nicki’s statement ‘he should have let y’all suffer and minded his business’ is chilling. To direct your anger at this family is at best misguided.”

Nicki Minaj

He also said that he’s a lawyer for both Botham’s family and Brown’s family, and there’s no bad blood there.

” They don’t blame each other. They share in each other’s suffering in a way only they could fully appreciate. Nicki has no place speaking on this family’s suffering or saying someone should have added to it. There was no causal relationship between Brandt’s show of mercy and the murder of Joshua.”

He then told Nicki Minaj there are other ways she can use her platform.

“There is a lot of righteous anger about the facts surrounding the murder of Joshua Brown. You could use your huge platform to address the protocol violations of the judge or instructing your millions of followers to demand DPD recuse itself from the investigation. Instead you belittle and shame a family that has suffered more than any of us.”

He added,

“Her statement hurt a family that I care very much about. I have a platform. I get to use it to address the evil people put out in the world.”

What do you think about S. Lee Merritt’s response to Nicki Minaj? Tell us in the comments.