Nicki Minaj’s Team Warned ‘Pink Friday 2’ Budget Was ‘Extremely Low’ Before $275K Lawsuit

Nicki Minaj’s team warned that a $250,000 budget for her “Pink Friday 2” promotional run was “extremely low” and could cost at least twice that amount, according to emails now filed in a lawsuit seeking more than $275,000 in allegedly unpaid production expenses.

The November 2023 correspondence has surfaced in the New York Supreme Court dispute between 24/7 Productions and Minaj’s company, Pink Friday Productions. The production firm claims it advanced hundreds of thousands of dollars for Minaj’s Jingle Ball appearances and a week of album promotion in New York and was never fully reimbursed.

In a Nov. 29 email, a member of Minaj’s team questioned the $250,000 allowance provided by Republic Records and estimated that the New York promotional week would cost at least twice as much. The message warned that hotels and transportation alone could consume the full allowance.

The emails also broke down several proposed expenses. A photographer and videographer were budgeted at a combined $3,000 per day, or $18,000 over six days, while tailoring costs were estimated at $700 per day for another $4,200.

Travel expenses raised similar concerns. One message questioned whether Minaj’s son would accompany her and noted that her usual plane rider exceeded $2,000 per leg even without him. The writer also warned that a $10,000 rider allowance appeared too low given the number of hotel nights planned.

The correspondence adds a new layer to a lawsuit filed in March by 24/7 Productions, which says it provided advance planning, staffing, audio, lighting, transportation and other production services connected to Minaj’s December 2023 events.

The company is seeking $275,149.62 and alleges it advanced more than $255,000 in expenses after budgets were submitted to and approved by Minaj’s team. Court filings include invoices tied to her “Pink Friday 2” promotional week and Jingle Ball appearances.

24/7 Productions has argued that the unpaid expenses were contemplated and approved before the work was performed. The newly filed emails could support its position that Minaj’s team knew the original promotional allowance would fall well short of the anticipated costs.

The messages do not resolve the separate question of who is legally responsible for any outstanding balance.

Minaj has asked the court to dismiss the claims against her personally, arguing that any agreement for production services was made with Pink Friday Productions rather than with her as an individual. Her attorneys have accused 24/7 of improperly targeting her because of her celebrity and wealth.

Pink Friday Productions has also disputed that money remains outstanding, maintaining in court filings that the underlying obligations were paid.

That distinction could shape the case even if 24/7 proves that the expenses were authorized. A company’s contractual debt does not automatically become the personal obligation of the artist who owns or benefits from the company, leaving 24/7 to separately establish a legal basis for keeping Minaj herself in the lawsuit.

The production company has also alleged that Pink Friday Productions received about $650,000 connected to Minaj’s Jingle Ball performances while 24/7 remained unpaid. It says repeated efforts to collect the disputed expenses stretched for nearly two years before the lawsuit was filed.

The newly disclosed emails focus attention on what Minaj’s team knew about the cost of the rollout before the bills were incurred. The warning that the $250,000 allowance could cover little more than hotels and transportation gives 24/7 additional evidence, as it argues that substantially higher spending was anticipated from the outset.

The lawsuit remains pending in New York Supreme Court, where Minaj continues to seek dismissal of the claims against her individually while Pink Friday Productions contests the alleged debt.