Who was Nicki Minaj’s father Robert and how did he die?
NICKI Minaj's dad, Robert, was killed after he was struck by a car.
He was pronounced dead on February 13, 2021, here's what we know so far.
Who was Nicki Minaj's father Robert Maraj?
Robert Maraj was from Trinidad and it has been reported that he had severe alcohol and drug addictions.
He was 64 at the time of his death after he was struck by a vehicle in a hit and run incident in New York on February 12.
Maraj was reported to be a financial executive and part-time gospel singer.
How did he die?
confirmed the sad news of Maraj's death on Sunday, February 14, 2021.
According to the outlet, Nassau County Police in New York said Robert was walking on the road between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue on Friday, February 12, in the evening around 6pm ET when the incident occurred.
The cops said he was hit by a vehicle heading northbound and the driver quickly fled the scene of the crime.
There were witnesses at the time of the accident, though it happened so quickly that no one was able to identify the person behind the car.
Robert was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, though his injuries were too substantial and he died over the weekend.
Who was his wife Carol and how many kids did he have?
Robert was married to Carol Maraj, Nicki's mother.
Carol is a gospel singer and Nicki - whose birth name is Onikia - was born in Trinidad on December 8, 1982.
Nicki is believed to have two older siblings, Jelani and Maya, and a younger brother Micaiah.
She also has a half-brother Brandon and half-sister Ming.
In 2010, Nicki told Details magazine that her dad was allegedly abusive towards Carol.
She told them: "He drank a lot and did drugs, and he would get violent when he did. When he set fire to the house, he was attempting to kill my mother.
";She got out before it burned all the way down.
"I've always had this female-empowerment thing in the back of my mind — because I wanted my mother to be stronger, and she couldn't be. I thought: 'If I'm successful, I can change her life'."
Carol eventually kicked Robert out of their home.
He later received treatment for his addictions and cleaned up his act, their attempts to reconcile failed.
Carol found strength in the Christian church and became a domestic violence campaigner, setting up the Carol Maraj Foundation to help other victims of abuse at home.
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Not much is known about Nicki's relationship with her father, though she did briefly discuss how the abusive nature she witnessed from him during her childhood impacted her as an adult.
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In a 2018 from the Making a Queen documentary, Nicki recalled: "I remember when my mother would let my father be violent with her and she always brings up this story about when I was a little girl and I would stand in front of my mother [with my arms open]."
Maraj's son Jelani, was sentenced to 25 years to life after he was found guilty of raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter.