Nicki Minaj's Covid vaccine row with Boris Johnson and Piers Morgan explained

The American musician has been accused of spreading Covid misinformation, with her claims debunked by health experts.

The row was sparked by claims from the singer that her cousin was no longer receiving the Covid vaccine after it led to his friend becoming impotent. Experts have suggested it may be a sexually transmitted disease, as opposed to the Covid-19 vaccine, which is causing this.

Tweeting to her 22.6 million Twitter followers, the rapper said: “My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen.

READ MORE: Nicki Minaj brands BBC's Laura Kuenssberg 'dumbo' amid Twitter storm

“His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.”

The tweet was met with a massive backlash around the world, with England's chief medical officer responding.

Asked about the claim, which received more than 100,000 likes, at Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference, Professor Chris Whitty said: “There are a number of myths that fly around … some of which are just clearly ridiculous and some of which are clearly designed just to scare.

“That happens to be one of them. That is untrue.”

Whitty added: “If you think about where we are overall … the great majority of people are getting vaccinated.

"So the great majority [of] people are ignoring these myths. And, if you talk about people in their 50s and 60s and 70s, we’re talking about over 90% of people getting vaccinated. And very few people actually are actively, in a sense, in the anti-vax group.

“There are a group of people who’ve got strange beliefs and … fine. And they make their own choices and, in a sense, also fine. People are adults who are allowed to make their own choices; however strange.

“But there are also people who go around trying to discourage other people from taking a vaccine, which could be life-saving or preventing them from having life-changing injuries.

"And many of those people, I regret to say, I think they know that they are peddling untruths. But they still do it. In my view, they should be ashamed.”

Boris Johnson chimed in adding he was not familiar with Minaj’s work, and said he was more familiar with the work of GP Nikki Kanani "who will tell you vaccines are wonderful and everyone should get one”.

In a surprise turn, Minaj saw the conference and replied on her Twitter account with a voice clip in an RP English accent. She joked she was actually English, went to Oxford and met Margaret Thatcher who said “so many nice things” about the Prime Minister.

🇬🇧 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 send this to the prime minister & let him know they lied on me. I forgive him. No one else. Only him. 🙃 pic.twitter.com/ZmJ2sST8Es

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 14, 2021

Captioned with Union flags and saying she “forgives” Johnson, she added: '"Yes, hello Prime Minister, Boris, it's Nicki Minaj.

“I was just calling to tell you that you were so amazing on the news this morning. And I'm actually British. I was born there. I went to university there. I went to Oxford.

"I went to school with Margaret Thatcher. And she told me so many nice things about you. I'd love to send you my portfolio of my work, since you don't know much about me, I'm a big, big star in the United States."

But the former American Idol host wasn’t quite done responding to the outrage as she then got caught in an argument with English presenter Piers Morgan.

Morgan called her "one of the rudest little madams I’ve ever met," adding her "lies will cost lives".

Sir I’ve never met you. I know… we all look alike. “Rudest little madam”. I like it. Has a special ring to it. Thanks Pierce. Love the accent. I’d love to come chat. Scones. Tea. Clown nose & big red shoes for you. Lmk babe 😘😍 https://t.co/9Evnhnuj9l

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 14, 2021

Minaj responded: “Sir I’ve never met you. I know … we all look alike. 'Rudest little madam'. I like it. Has a special ring to it.

"Thanks Pierce [sic]. Love the accent. I’d love to come chat. Scones. Tea. Clown nose & big red shoes for you. Lmk [let me know] babe”

Morgan then went on to accuse Minaj of refusing to say hello to his three young sons during a performance on America’s Got Talent.

This was refuted by Minaj. She then requested to go on an Instagram live with Morgan but he has so far not taken up the offer.

The Trinidad-born rapper later suggested her original post was sarcasm, hitting back at the BBC’s Keunssberg who tweeted a clip of Professor Whitty responding to Minaj’s claims where Keunsberg said “2021 everyone”.

Minaj replied: “Yes 2021 when jack asses hang on to my every tweet but can’t decipher sarcasm & humor, and can’t read. Go away dumbo.”

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America’s top epidemiologist was asked about the veracity of the claim but shot it down.

Asked by CNN journalist Jake Tapper on whether the Covid vaccine can cause reproductive issues in men or women, Dr Anthony Fauci said: “The answer to that, Jake, is a resounding no,” he said.

“There’s no evidence that it happens, nor is there any mechanistic reason to imagine that it would happen.

“So the answer to your question is no.”

The pop star has not been vaccinated against coronavirus but added she suspects she will eventually get the jag.