A photographer is facing backlash online for apparently delving into rapper Nicki Minaj’s past as part of a personal tirade against her.
Eric Madigan Heck expressed his frustration on Instagram, recalling a shoot he did for The New York Times Magazine roughly 11 years ago. He vented about Minaj’s security guard being armed with a Glock and criticized her for being notoriously late and allegedly causing disruptions.
His odd rant even included a remark that he purposefully depicted her as a dictator, which led to mockery on Reddit.
He stated he had left his pregnant wife behind to attend the photoshoot, sharing an image of Minaj before proceeding with his complaints. “I had been warned the week prior that Nicki had arrived eight hours late for a shoot with Terry Richardson,” he wrote. “She was also cautioned that if she disliked the images, she’d have them deleted.”
He went on to assert he backs up all his work just in case. “But just a few frames later, right after she clicked the shutter, she walked off the set saying, ‘I get it,’” he added. “Her contract entailed a four-picture deal with the New York Times, yet after just three photos—while sharing them in real time on her phone—she wanted to leave. To be kind, it was a disappointing experience.”
He then expressed disbelief that magazines still wish to feature her on their covers, critiquing both her personally and professionally. “You don’t have to be a music aficionado to realize that while she was tall, she was never on par with Lil’ Kim or Foxy Brown. She was simply an instigator,” he stated.
Just when it felt like his grievances had peaked, he took the conversation even further. Although he appeared unaware of the practicalities of security within celebrity culture, he threw in “lighthearted anecdotes” from his photo sessions. “All her bodyguards had Glock 9s on their hips,” he noted without explaining the relevance.
“I asked one of her bodyguards why they would put up with such disrespect from her, as she spoke to them like they were nothing, and they just offered a silent smile,” he wrote.
In a surprising twist, he added his disdain for President Donald Trump to the mix, criticizing Minaj’s support of him. “It’s almost ironic to read her pro-Trump sentiments now, recalling how she wasn’t just unpleasant as a person, but her music was lacking too,” he commented.
He wrapped up his lengthy critique by calling his portrait of her a “dictator representation,” claiming it served as a protest statement. “Perhaps it was subtle at the time, but it was intentional—a protest against bad music, bad people, and magazines that elevate them,” he concluded.
The response on social media was swift and scathing, with many users mocking his decision to leave his pregnant wife for the shoot. One person quipped, “I may have missed the birth of my first son because I had the chance to photograph a woman who wanted to seem like a dictator.”
Another remark pointed out his lost credibility when he labeled Minaj as merely an instigator. Other comments reflected skepticism, asking questions about why she would let her guards treat her poorly or even implying that he was bragging about confrontations with a security guard during the job.
