Nicki Minaj 'American Idol' Diss: 'Grow Up,' Former Contestant Tells Judge (VIDEO)
American Idol judge Nicki Minaj has responded on Twitter to remarks made by former contestant Devin Velez, who accused Minaj of making "unnecessary" remarks.
Devin Velez was eliminated from "American Idol" last week after performing the Four Tops' song "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" with Lazaro Arbos and Burnell Taylor. Minaj responded to the performance by telling the contestants to get off the stage.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't see that or hear that," Minaj said.
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Velez later responded during a conference call with reporters that Minaj's remarks were "unnecessary." During the performance it appeared that all three boys fumbled the lyrics of the song.
"I agree with the first half of her critique, when she said that it felt like it was Hollywood week, that it was a joke, that stuff like that should not happen, that she was going to pretend that she didn't hear it," Velez said according to The Hollywood Reporter, defending that he knew the lyrics.
But Velez appeared offended when Minaj suggested that the group should leave the stage.
"When she went crazy– when she was like 'get off the stage, blah blah blah' and it's just like 'whoa Miss Minaj, I need you to calm down please,'" he said.
The "Starship" singer responded to the interview on Twitter by stating that it was not the judges fault he was voted off.
"The JUDGES are the ones who FOUGHT for America to get the opp to VOTE 4 U!!! #memba?" she said. "Trust me BEW BEW. If EYE didn't want u in that TOP, YOU wldnt have been in that TOP. Fought for ALL of you. So just simply b gracious."
Minaj later added hope for Velez, suggesting that the winners of "American Idol" were not always the most successful ones.
"Take that exposure and let your light shine," she wrote.
Velez responded: "That moment when an adult stoops down to the 3rd grade level . . . LOL grow up Hun, I've got songs to write. :) #movingforward."
His tweet was later deleted.
To see Minaj telling contestants to get off the stage, click below.
