Hip-hop superstar Nicki Minaj is dealing with family tragedy. Her father, Robert Maraj, was killed on Feb. 12 in New York by a hit-and-run driver. While Nicki hasn’t commented publicly on her father’s death, details have resurfaced about their complex relationship.
Nicki Minaj Grew Up Wanting To Get Away From Her Father
In older interviews, Nicki Minaj revealed that she prayed to be rich as a kid so she could get her mother away from her abusive father. Nicki has also told the story about her father setting the family’s house on fire.
“All of my young and teenage early years we lived in fear that my mother would be killed by my father. It was ridiculous. It was very tough emotionally for me to have a parent who was an alcoholic and a drug addict. … My father was violent — physically and verbally.” (Huffington Post)
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In more recent years, however, Robert Maraj had gotten his addictions under control and the relationship with his daughter improved. Nicki Minaj acknowledged how things had changed between them after he committed to sobriety.
“He went to rehab and cleaned himself up. Eventually [my parents] started going to church a lot, and he got saved and started changing his life. He’s away from drugs now. He doesn’t instill fear in people anymore.” (The Guardian)
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Police in Long Island, NY, have arrested the man responsible for the death of Robert Maraj. The hit-and-run driver, 70-year-old Charles Polevich, reportedly got out of his car to ask Maraj if he was OK as he lay dying, left the scene without helping or calling 911, and later covered his car with a tarp to avoid detection.
“He got out of the car and he looked at the deceased and got into the car and made the conscious decision to leave. Instead of dialing 911 or calling an ambulance, he went home and secreted his vehicle.” (Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick)
Nicki Minaj’s Dad Dies From Being Hit
According to reports, the shocking incident went down Friday with New York police claiming he was walking on a road around 6 PM ET. A vehicle hit him and fled the scene with witnesses unable to provide a description of the person.
Robert was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries and passed over the weekend. The Homicide Squad is investigating the case and asking for the public’s help in identifying the responsible party. There was not a decent description of the suspect vehicle provided. Nicki hasn’t spoken on her dad’s death yet. There are shots of them together embracing over the years, so they obviously had a decent relationship and saw each other from time to time. It’s unclear what Nicki’s relationship with her dad was currently. (TMZ)
