Nicki Minaj Called Princess Diana Her ‘Dear Friend,’ and People Are Furious

Nicki Minaj seemed to ruffle some feathers during one of the latest stops on her Pink Friday 2 Tour when she referred to the late Princess Diana as her “dear friend.” During her Sunday, May 26 concert in Birmingham, United Kingdom, the Queen of Rap, 41, asked for a “moment of silence” for the late princess, who passed away in a car crash in August 1997 at the age of 36.

The odd moment came in between songs as Minaj spoke to a member of the audience, who told her they were from Wales. A clip of the scene shared to social media then showed Minaj switching to her British accent as she told the crowd, “It always reminds me of a dear friend of mine. Well, she’s not here anymore, but the Princess of Wales.” The “Sueprbass” singer then paused for a moment as she asked the crowd for “a moment of silence for her,” Minaj seen looking down and holding her microphone to her chest as the crowd grew quiet for several second.

The moment drew plenty of comments online, where many viewers noted that Minaj and the late princess never met prior to Diana’s tragic passing, which occurred when Minaj was just 14. Commenting on the video, one person asked, “Since when is the princess of wales a dear friend to her,” with somebody else adding, “Not Nickis dear friend lady Di.” On X (formerly Twitter), another person commented, “A dear friend of mine… She was 14 when Diana died…”

While the moment may have caused some confusion, Minaj’s admiration for the late princess is well-documented. The singer notably appeared on a remix of Ice Spice’s single “Princess Diana” in April 2023. The hit song, which was a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100, includes lyrics like, “When we come out, it look like Princess Diana on the street” and “Callin’ my phone, but they know I don’t answer/ In the hood, I’m like Princess Diana.”

Minaj also previously revealed that her 2018 album Queen was inspired by Diana. Ahead of the album’s release, the singer shared a clip to Instagram of Diana’s bombshell 1995 BBC interview following her separation from then-Prince Charles, in which she said, “I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path. It’s the strength that causes confusion and fear. ‘Why is she strong? Where did she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it? Why do the public still support her?’” Announcing the album’s release date in the caption, Minaj also wrote, “God bless this woman’s legacy & every woman who’s ever felt like this.”