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Nicki Minaj's Father Robert Maraj Killed In Alleged Hit And Run In New York

Nicki Minaj's Father Robert Maraj Killed In Alleged Hit And Run In New York

The 64-year-old was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

Robert Maraj, the 64-year-old father of musician Nicki Minaj, had died after being hit by a car in a hit and run incident, New York police have said.

According to reports from Associated Press, Maraj was walking along a road in Mineola on Long Island at around 6:15pm on Sunday evening when he was struck by the vehicle, that then drove off without stopping.

Nassau County police said that Maraj was then taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead, later on Sunday.

The police have now issued an appeal for any witnesses to the deadly crash to come forward.

Minaj, who is 38-years-old was born Onika Tanya Maraj on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, but was raised in New York after moving to Queens as a child.

She has yet to make any public statement about her father's death.

Robert Maraj and Nicki's mother Carol in 2013.
Facebook

This news comes after Minaj's brother Jelani Maraj was sentenced to life in prison, and the singer welcomed her first child with her husband Kenneth Petty in 2020.

Minaj has spoken in the past about her relationship with her father, and has shared photographs on social media of the pair together hugging.

However, she did disclose in a 2010 interview that he had allegedly been abusive towards his wife, Carol.

She told Details magazine: "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.'"

Anyone with information about the incident that claimed Maraj's life has been asked to call New York Police's Crime Stoppers on 1-800-244-TIPS.

Featured Image Credit: Facebook

Topics: Music, US News, New York, US Entertainment