Here's Why Nicki Minaj's Brother Jelani Maraj Is Behind Bars
The following article discusses sexual assault.
In the aftermath of her older brother's December 2015 arrest, Nicki Minaj was scrutinized over her perceived support of him. Just days after Jelani Maraj was booked, Minaj was criticized for reportedly fronting the $100,000 bond to bail him out of jail. The criticism intensified a few weeks later when Minaj shared a photo featuring Maraj on Instagram on December 30, 2015. "Bowling with my family," she captioned the post in Spanish.
Her fans didn't mince words when expressing how they felt about it. "I understand it's her family but like the others said above this sends the message as if she is okay with what her brother did," one Instagram user commented. Minaj was again in the news when she visited Jelani in jail in November 2017, shortly after he was found guilty, TMZ reported. But by this point, it looked like Minaj's relationship with her brother had stalled. Sources told TMZ that Minaj went as a support person to her mother, Carol Maraj.
In fact, Minaj also wasn't the one who bailed Jelani out. Court documents showed Carol posted bond using money from properties owned by Minaj. Minaj had previously displayed deep affection for Jelani. "I would cross the ocean for u. I would go & bring u the moon. Promise u. For u I will. I love my brother so much man," she captioned an October 2015 Instagram post. But the nature of his crime seems to have changed their dynamics.
Jelani Maraj was convicted of raping his stepdaughter
In November 2017, Jelani Maraj was found guilty of raping his stepdaughter when she was just 11 years old. In a bone-chilling testimony, the girl, who remained unidentified, detailed how Maraj started sexually assaulting her in their Long Island home in April 2015 and continued his crimes for months. The victim, who is the daughter of Jelani's now ex-wife Jacqueline Robinson, said Maraj threatened to take her away from her mother should she say anything.
The girl also said Maraj made her feel like the assault was her fault. "He had mentioned I was brushing myself on him and that I wanted it to happen," she testified, according to Page Six. Additionally, Maraj's stepdaughter testified that her younger brother, then 8, walked in during one of the assaults and that Maraj also threatened him. The boy also described what he witnessed in court. In her testimony, Robinson said she only learned about the assault when social services contacted them to set up a meeting. "He was yelling at her, asking her 'what did you say?'" Robinson said, according to Bossip.
Social workers had a rape kit done on the victim. Later, DNA evidence showed a stain in one of the girl's clothes matched Maraj's semen. A New York judge sentenced Maraj to 25 years to life in January 2020. "We will be appealing this excessive sentence," Maraj's lawyer told Pitchfork in a statement.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Jelani Maraj accused his wife of attempted extortion
Jelani Maraj's defense team argued he was innocent and that his then-stepdaughter's claims were actually Jacqueline Robinson's doing. Lawyer David Schwartz accused Robinson of instructing her children to lie to authorities about Maraj in an attempt to extort Nicki Minaj. Robinson denied ever going after an out-of-court settlement. "No, that's a lie," she told Schwartz when he cross-examined her in October 2017, Page Six reported.
In his opening statement, Schwartz told the jury Robinson approached Maraj's famous sister ahead of the trial. "I can make the charges go away for $25 million," he quoted Robinson as saying, according to TMZ. Schwartz went so far as to argue that Robinson only married Maraj for an opportunity to get money from the family. Schwartz also argued the DNA evidence uncovered by authorities was planted by Robinson. "Why would [Robinson] lie and force her children to lie? I can give you 25 million reasons why," he said, per Page Six, adding Robinson "became obsessed with Nicki Minaj — getting her hands on her money."
In the same report, TMZ contended Minaj was expected to be a key witness for Maraj to describe Robinson's extortion attempts. Maraj's team confirmed that information. However, that never happened. Not only did Minaj not take the stand, but she also never intended to, according to a report that surfaced a few days later. Sources said the claims put forth by Maraj's defense lawyers were not true. Minaj has never publicly addressed Maraj's conviction.