Rapper Nicki Minaj escalated her long-running feud with Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday by releasing a mock diary video moments after doubling down on scathing social media posts aimed at the former federal infectious-disease official. The satirical performance came just days after Fauci’s contentious appearance before a Senate committee, where he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions about his pandemic response.
On Friday, Minaj released a 59-second video filmed in near darkness in which she impersonated Fauci writing in a diary. The clip opens with her in character saying, “Dear Diary, well the press is hot for me. They say I’m sexier than Tyra Banks. Julia Roberts gasped when she saw how handsome I was. Brad Pitt played me on ‘SNL.'” The satirical jabs quickly pivot to sharp criticism of Fauci’s pandemic leadership and policy decisions.
The video capitalized on newly surfaced details from Fauci’s private journal entries, which Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul released over the weekend ahead of Wednesday’s hearing. The 1,141-page document revealed entries Fauci wrote between December 2019 and December 2022, during his tenure as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Many entries focused on the intense media attention he received, his interactions with celebrities and public figures, merchandise like Fauci bobbleheads, and discussions about the origins of COVID-19.
Paul had subpoenaed Fauci to testify about his role in the federal pandemic response, research funding decisions, and questions about the virus’s origins. On July 29, Fauci appeared before the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he declined to answer more than 100 questions, repeatedly citing the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination. In his opening statement, Fauci accused Paul of having an “obvious obsession” with prosecuting him and argued the hearing appeared designed to gather testimony that could be used in criminal proceedings.
But Minaj’s contribution to the intensifying criticism went beyond the video. On Thursday and Friday, she posted a lengthy series of messages on X blasting Fauci for what she framed as widespread suffering caused by pandemic policies. In one prominent post, she wrote: “Feeding tubes will be his portion. He will lose the ability to speak & then & only then will he feel the collective pain & long term ramifications he caused to newborns, young children who are still trying to become acclimated into society & schools, traumatized pregnant women who couldn’t even have family in the delivery rooms & visits.”
In other posts, Minaj accused Fauci of causing elderly people to die alone and young people to struggle with mental illness. She claimed his policies resulted in lost public trust and billions of dollars stolen from taxpayers. She also shared an AI-generated image depicting Fauci as a teenager hunched over a diary, a direct reference to the newly released journal entries.
The rapper accompanied her posts with skepticism about pandemic-era public health measures. In one message, she sarcastically criticized booster shot recommendations, writing: “Once they started telling yall to get a new booster shot every 5 to 10 business days like it was the new Jordans droppin?!?!!!!! That’s when I knew. I went in my backyard & started building the Arc. Nicki’s Arc.”
Minaj’s renewed assault on Fauci reflects a feud with deep roots in the pandemic era. The conflict between them first erupted publicly in September 2021, when Minaj posted on social media claiming that a cousin’s friend in Trinidad had experienced impotence and swollen testicles after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Health experts in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago said her claim had no scientific basis. When asked about Minaj’s allegation during a CNN interview, Fauci responded that she “should be thinking twice about propagating information that really has no basis — except a one-off anecdote.”
Since then, Minaj has become increasingly vocal on pandemic-related political issues and has emerged as a prominent Trump supporter, speaking at conservative events and the White House earlier this year. She has consistently criticized what she characterizes as government overreach during the COVID-19 response.
Minaj’s latest barrage drew predictably divided reactions on social media. Some supporters praised her willingness to challenge Fauci, with commentators describing the video as sharp political satire. But critics pushed back forcefully, arguing that Minaj was spreading vaccine misinformation and that Fauci deserved credit for decades of public service. One detractor wrote: “Fauci has 50+ years of science and public service behind him” while accusing Minaj of embarrassing herself with baseless claims.
The controversy also highlighted deeper partisan divisions that remain unresolved years after the acute phase of the pandemic. Questions about school closures, vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and the origins of COVID-19 continue to divide Americans along political lines, with Minaj’s latest statements adding celebrity firepower to ongoing conservative critiques of Fauci’s tenure.
Republicans have intensified their push against Fauci in recent days. Representative Rich McCormick of Georgia introduced legislation aimed at barring Fauci from returning to government service and potentially exposing him to criminal prosecution. Paul has also announced the committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.
For Minaj, the moment represented a convergence of her long-held skepticism about pandemic policies and her increasingly visible role in conservative political circles. Whether viewed as pointed social commentary or unfair personal attack, the video and accompanying posts have ensured that Fauci remains a focal point of celebrity-driven political debate well into 2026.