Nicki Minaj’s Former Lawyers Seek $295,605 Default Award

Nicki Minaj’s former law firm has renewed its request for a $295,605 default judgment in a dispute over legal bills, according to court documents reviewed by TheWrap and Rolling Stone. The request remains an allegation before the court, not a final finding that the rapper owes the amount.

The firm renews its court request

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani filed the renewed request after saying its lawsuit had received no response. Both outlets reported that a hearing is scheduled for November 16. Representatives for Minaj did not respond to their requests for comment, leaving the firm’s account publicly unanswered at the time of reporting.

The dispute stems from work connected to a copyright case involving Minaj’s song “I Lied.” That earlier lawsuit alleged that the track copied elements of Julius Johnson’s song “onmysleeve.” Rolling Stone reported that the copyright case ended in a private settlement and was dismissed.

According to a declaration described by TheWrap, the firm said it billed Minaj and Harajuku Barbie Music LLC $229,541.75 for legal services. It also claimed $25,249.51 in contractual late fees. The renewed filing seeks the larger total of $295,605, which the firm says includes services, fees and interest.

What a default request means

A request for default judgment asks a court to rule when the responding party has not formally answered a claim within the required period. Filing the request does not automatically guarantee that the court will approve the amount. The scheduled hearing gives the judge an opportunity to review whether the procedural and financial claims support the requested award.

The available reporting does not include a public response from Minaj or her representatives on the substance of the billing dispute. That distinction is important: the figures come from the former lawyers’ filing, while the court has yet to issue the reported default award.

The November hearing is therefore the next concrete step. Until then, the case remains a contested billing claim centered on legal work performed during an earlier music copyright dispute.