Nicki Minaj has successfully avoided court questioning related to her late father, Robert Maraj, and her song lyrics, thanks to a recent ruling by a New York judge. The demand for deposition came from Charles Polevich, who had been sued by Carol Maraj, Nicki Minaj's mother, for negligence following the tragic death of Robert Maraj in a hit-and-run incident in 2021.
Insiders familiar with the case revealed that Carol Maraj played a crucial role in having the deposition demand dismissed. Carol's legal team argued that deposing Nicki Minaj was irrelevant to the core issues of the lawsuit. The court agreed, ruling in favor of the Maraj family.
The legal battle began after Carol Maraj filed a $150 million lawsuit against Polevich for negligence. Polevich, in his defense, denied any wrongdoing and claimed that Robert Maraj was reckless and careless when crossing the street. This defense strategy aimed to shift some of the blame onto the victim.
Polevich's counterarguments also included references to alleged domestic abuse by Robert Maraj, suggesting that such information was pertinent because the lawsuit sought compensation for Carol Maraj's loss of comfort and companionship. However, the court dismissed these claims as irrelevant to the negligence lawsuit.
Nicki Minaj's song lyrics became a focal point in the case when Polevich noted that she had referenced her father's abusive behavior towards her mother in some of her songs. In past interviews, Nicki Minaj had openly discussed her father's heavy drinking and violent tendencies during her childhood. These details were brought up by Polevich's legal team to argue against the negligence claim.
Robert Maraj was killed in a hit-and-run incident involving Polevich on Long Island, New York. According to reports, Robert was walking across the street when he was struck by Polevich's vehicle. Instead of helping Robert or calling emergency services, Polevich fled the scene. Surveillance footage later identified Polevich as the driver, leading to his arrest and charges of leaving the scene of an incident and tampering with physical evidence.
Court documents revealed that Polevich briefly stopped after hitting Robert and even asked if he was "OK" before leaving the scene without providing assistance. This behavior was deemed highly negligent and irresponsible. Polevich later expressed remorse, stating he was "heartsick since realizing the extent of the tragedy."
In 2022, Polevich was sentenced to one year in jail for his actions. However, before he began his sentence, Carol Maraj filed the $150 million negligence lawsuit against him. The lawsuit accused Polevich of being not only irresponsible and negligent but also of displaying criminal, cowardly, and immoral behavior by prioritizing his escape over seeking help for Robert Maraj.
"Charles Polevich was not only irresponsible and negligent in hitting [Robert], but was more concerned about running away and hiding than seeking help. Polevich's behavior was criminal, cowardly, and immoral. We will hold him responsible for his reckless actions that led to Robert Maraj's death!" the lawsuit stated.
The recent ruling that exempted Nicki Minaj from deposition marks a significant victory for the Maraj family. It underscores the court's focus on the primary negligence claim and dismisses attempts to divert attention with unrelated personal history and song lyrics.