Don Lemon slams Nicki Minaj for ‘ignorant’ homophobic attack

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has publicly hit back at MAGA rapper Nicki Minaj after she directed a homophobic slur at him in response to his coverage of an anti‑ICE protest in Minnesota. Lemon, now an independent journalist, had shared footage on 18 January showing activists interrupting a church service in Minneapolis, where one of the pastors also serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.

Minaj reacted furiously on X, calling Lemon “disgusting” and using a homophobic insult while demanding his arrest. She accused him of unfairly targeting the church and claimed he “would never do that to any other religion”, accompanying her post with an image of the horror‑film character Chucky. Lemon, who is openly gay, responded in an interview with TMZ, describing Minaj as “a homophobic, bigoted, ignorant woman” and stating that she was “out of her depth” in political matters.

EXCLUSIVE: Don Lemon stopped by TMZ Live and went off on Nicki Minaj, telling her to "sit the f*** down," and urged her to "get a life and grow some brains." 💥 pic.twitter.com/8EY4TBiEvg

— TMZ (@TMZ) January 19, 2026

The outspoken exchange escalated when Minaj doubled down, insisting she had used the slur intentionally to provoke media coverage, saying she was “glad they’re angry” and warning her critics they were “about to get angrier”. Lemon maintained that he had not participated in the protest but had simply documented events for his reporting, disputing claims circulating among Minaj’s supporters that he had “stormed” the church. 

The feud highlights the growing political tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota, where recent protests followed the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent. Minaj has increasingly aligned herself with conservative political figures in recent months, while Lemon continues to defend his journalistic independence amid criticism from partisan commentators.