Many fans were shocked when Nicki Minaj shed out serious dough to help out her brother Jelani Maraj after he was accused of a horrific crime.
The artist's older brother was alleged to have raped a 12-year-old (gender unknown), but before his court hearing, Minaj already posted a $100,000 bond to prevent him from being put behind bars.
Last Friday, December 4, in Nassau County, New York, Maraj was charged with first degree rape and first degree sexual assault after allegedly attacking a minor. According to court documents, Minaj came to the rescue by putting up $100,000 for her older brother, using two homes that she owns as collateral. One of the homes was being used by Maraj while another by their mother.
According to court documents obtained by Hollywood Life, Maraj's charges stemmed from an incident that occurred last April 1, 2015. The documents said he allegedly raped a child "he had access to" over the period of three months. Despite being bailed out from jail, he will be required to return for his court date slated Monday, December 7. If found guilty, Maraj is to face nine to 25 years in prison. There are no reports if there will be a plea deal.
As to how Minaj feels about the issue, a source said that the artist is praying that the charges pressed against her brother "will be proven false."
"Nicki's at a loss for words at her brother's situation. Her heart has dropped. She loves her brother terribly and is hoping these charges will be proven false," the source explained.
Beyond her prayers, there isn't much that Minaj can do to change her brother's situation. According to the source, she is distracting herself and just letting the situation develop. "...Nicki's trying to stay busy and not let her brother's situation weigh too heavily on her," the source added.
