The 2026 Grammy Awards delivered plenty of memorable moments, but not all of them were musical. During the live broadcast, cameras caught Chrissy Teigen laughing along as host Trevor Noah made a joke referencing Nicki Minaj and her recent political alignment. That brief reaction became a spark for a much larger controversy online.
Minaj, who was not in attendance, took to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the ceremony and launched a series of attacks aimed at multiple celebrities. One of her posts targeted Teigen directly, using crude language and an image meant to ridicule her. The post quickly drew backlash, with many users criticizing Minaj for crossing personal lines rather than addressing the joke itself. Others pointed out her marriage to Kenneth Petty, whose criminal history has long been a subject of public scrutiny.
The initial trigger came from Noah’s monologue, where he joked that Minaj was “still at the White House with Donald Trump,” poking fun at her recent Republican support. Teigen, seated behind Noah, appeared amused on the live broadcast, which only intensified Minaj’s response.
Minaj didn’t stop there. She also made remarks about Noah’s sexuality and called out several other celebrities, including Jay-Z and Lizzo, framing her comments in religious and conspiratorial language. Her posts ended with a dramatic declaration that divine judgment would fall on those she felt wronged her.
Interestingly, Minaj wasn’t the only one upset with Noah’s humor. Trump himself responded on Truth Social, threatening legal action over jokes Noah made involving Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Clinton.
What began as a late-night Grammy joke quickly spiraled into a chaotic mix of politics, celebrity feuds, and social media outrage—another reminder of how instantly humor can turn into headline drama in today’s culture.
