Nicki Minaj Roundly Criticized for Spreading Wild Claim About Vaccine Causing Swollen Testicles
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 13: Nicki Minaj attends Marc Jacobs SS18 fashion show during New York Fashion Week at Park Avenue Armory on September 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Marc Jacobs)
Nicki Minaj faced a torrent of criticism and mockery for her tweet about side effects of the covid-19 vaccine on Monday.
Minaj is not attending the Met Gala because of its vaccine requirements. She tweeted that she will get the vaccine after she’s done “enough research,” and said she would recommend people take the vaccine because of the mandates, but she raised questions about potential side effects of the vaccine.
At the heart of this was a questionable claim that her cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine because a friend of his “became impotent” and “his testicles became swollen.”
My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. 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
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 13, 2021
There is no evidence the vaccines could cause that.
Minaj was widely criticized by many people, both for the dubious claim about a vaccine side effect and for using her very public platform like this.
your cousin's friend prolly just picked up an STD but please keep going ?
— king crissle (@crissles) September 13, 2021
Source(s):
trust me bro https://t.co/pWDLwgnrEw— Philip DeFranco ?? (@PhillyD) September 13, 2021
As a former Medical Director of a Sexually Transmitted Infection Clinic, I’ll go out on a limb here, and suggest that there are quite a few things in the epididymoorchitis differential that are more likely than a novel vaccine adverse effect. https://t.co/Qi0u9RWbsF
— David Fisman (@DFisman) September 13, 2021
I am very tired. https://t.co/STEuRqmJsN
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) September 13, 2021
Fellas, make sure they put the needle in your arm. https://t.co/jv8OHNkV8a
— Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) September 13, 2021
Your cousin's friend is LYING because he probably got caught messing around without protection. https://t.co/vFUzs6ayke
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) September 13, 2021
He means Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend in Trinidad but the point stands https://t.co/4ZMAbbQKd1
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) September 13, 2021
Nicki, I’d love to talk to you about the COVID vaccine. Impotence is significantly more likely from COVID and there have been no documented cases of impotence associated with the COVID vaccine.
— uché blackstock, md (@uche_blackstock) September 13, 2021
Nicki Minaj’s publicist right now pic.twitter.com/uKpULworNG
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 13, 2021
Oh MAN these slacks I bought at are WAY too big in the crotch. Returning stuff is such a hassle — is there an easy way to just make my balls swell up? Wanna make a splash at the #MetGala tonight.
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 13, 2021
The old ‘swollen testicles’ wedding scam https://t.co/bxpqTUfaNL
— h. jon benjamin (@HJBenjamin) September 13, 2021
I'm torn between wanting to talk about why rumors and conspiracy theories about vaccines damaging fertility are so common and wanting to make a series of unhelpful jokes about swollen testicles so I guess watch this space
— Anna Merlan (@annamerlan) September 14, 2021
Even members of Congress are getting in on this. Democrat Ted Lieu alluded to Minaj’s claim on Twitter to clear the air about vaccine side effects:
I just want to note that sexually transmitted diseases are not side effects of the COVID vaccines.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 13, 2021
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene retweeted Minaj to continue pushing anti-vaccine nonsense.
