Nicki Minaj's father Robert Maraj has reportedly died after being struck in a hit and run accident Friday evening (February 12). According to TMZ, Nassau County Police in New York have reported that Maraj "was walking on the road between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue Friday evening around 6 PM ET, when he was hit by a vehicle heading northbound. Cops say the driver then fled the scene without a meaningful description from witnesses."
He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. Maraj was 64 years old.
The tragic news comes less than five months after the "Chun Li" rapper and her husband Kenneth Petty welcomed their first child together. The new mom has been happily posting photos and voice messages of her son, who was born on September 30, 2020, and gushing over "gorgeous" gifts she received from Ariana Grande.
Minaj has not yet spoken publicly about her father's death. As TMZ points out, there are photos of the rapper and her dad embracing, indicating that they were close; however, she's spoken about their rocky history in the past, so it's unclear what their relationship was like at the time of his passing.
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