Nicki Minaj Fans Bombard Deon Cole with Hateful DMs Over Controversial Roast

Nicki Minaj fans are bombarding comedian Deon Cole with hateful direct messages after he roasted the rapper during his hosting gig at the NAACP Image Awards, sparking heated online backlash.

Cole took the stage Saturday, Feb. 28, delivering a monologue that included jokes about the BAFTA controversy, Donald Trump, 50 Cent and others. Among his targets was Nicki Minaj, whose devoted fanbase — known as the Barbz — quickly responded on social media.

According to a March 1 report by Page Six, "Nicki Minaj hasn't responded to Deon Cole's NAACP Image Awards roast yet, but the Barbz defended her directly in Cole's Instagram DMs." The outlet reported that Cole later shared screenshots of several messages he received after his opening mock prayer at the ceremony.

The publication detailed some of the direct messages, which included explicit language and threats.

One message read, "Keep Nicki out yo mouth before I spit on u," according to the outlet's reporting.

Another message escalated in tone, stating, "BH FK YOU QUIT SPEAKING ON THE MOTHER FING QUEEN NAME B*H, NOTICE HOW NOBODY EVEN KNEW WHO TF U WERE UNTIL U BROUGHT HER NAME UP, I HOPE U AND ALL UR FAMILY MEMBERS GET TOUCHED IRL THAT OUGHTA TEACH U."

A third message shared by Cole read, "You bh a na keep Nicki name out your fing mouth py a bh! Ugly a hair you lame asf weak b**h! All yall b****hes lame," per HotNewHipHop.

While much of the backlash centered on his jokes about Minaj, the outlet noted that some critics also took issue with a separate joke referencing Tourette syndrome. Still, the majority of the messages Cole highlighted appeared to come from fans defending the rapper.

This is not the first time Minaj has faced public ridicule during an awards show. She previously responded strongly to jokes made by comedian Trevor Noah at the Grammys. As of publication, however, she has not commented on Cole's NAACP remarks.

Some observers have speculated that Minaj's controversial support of former President Donald Trump may have influenced Cole's decision to include her in his set, though he has not publicly explained his reasoning.

The Deon Cole controversy is still going on, but the Nicki Minaj backlash is getting the most attention when it comes to the NAACP Image Awards Roast.