Kenneth Petty, the husband of rapper Nicki Minaj, has submitted what he claims is a 1994 letter written by Jennifer Hough as part of his defence against her civil lawsuit, but Hough’s lawyer has denied that she wrote or signed the document.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Petty submitted the alleged letter, which was purportedly sent to the District Attorney in 1994 and sought to have the rape charge against him dropped.
The document claims Hough described her allegations as “half false” and expressed regret over the case, but her lawyer, Marjorie Mesidor, disputed its authenticity.
“This exact tactic was attempted by Mr. Petty in 1994, and it was widely disregarded by the judge then just as it will be disregarded by the judge now,” Mesidor told TMZ.
“The concept of a 16-year-old minor producing a typewritten recantation without parental consent is highly suspicious on its face, and this is simply not her signature.”
Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in April 1995 in connection with the incident involving Hough, who accused him of assaulting her when they were both 16.
In his latest filing, Petty also disputed aspects of Hough’s account of the incident, including whether a weapon was involved.
Hough filed a civil lawsuit against Petty in 2021, alleging that he had pressured her for years to publicly recant her rape allegation. Petty disputes the claims and is seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed.
He also alleged that Hough brought the civil action after he began a relationship with Minaj, whom he described as a “famous and wealthy musician”, claiming that she viewed Minaj as a “celebrity with deep pockets” and expected the case to be settled.
Hough disputes Petty’s account, while her lawyer maintains that the purported 1994 letter was not written or signed by her.
The court has yet to determine the current civil dispute.
