Jonathan Van Ness Calls Out Nicki Minaj For Harper's Bazaar Russia Shoot
Jonathan Van Ness slammed Nicki Minaj via Twitter on Friday morning for her appearance in the August 2018 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Russia.
The “Queer Eye” star cited Russia’s anti-LGBTQIA propaganda laws and Chechnya’s treatment of LGBTQIA citizens.
“What’s good @nickiminaj, this should’ve been a hard pass,” he wrote.
Russia has anti LGBTQIA propaganda laws, Chechnya supported by Russia tortures it’s LGBTQIA citizens, & w your LGBTQ+ fans you can’t even speak to that in this interview bc it’s illegal in Russia, what’s good @NICKIMINAJ , this should’ve been a hard pass. pic.twitter.com/6WqZdXSKKl
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) July 13, 2018
Van Ness’ use of “What’s good” echoes Minaj’s own famous callout of Miley Cyrus at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, after Cyrus made comments about Minaj in a New York Times interview.
In 2013, Russia put in place a statute banning distribution of materials that promote LGBT relationships among minors. Because of the way the law is written, it effectively became a total ban on the gay rights movement and any public expression of the culture.
Most recently, this law led to authorities in March 2018 banning the country’s largest gay website, Gay.ru, because of “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relationships.”
In his reference to Chechnya, Van Ness was talking about Chechen authorities in 2017 arresting men whom they suspected to be gay and torturing them in concentration camps. At least 100 gay men were arrested and subject to treatment like starvation, electroshock and beatings. Some of them died as a result.
Minaj shared images of herself in the Harper’s Bazaar spread, but did not publicly address Van Ness’ comments. She did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Harpers Bazaar Russia
Photo: #gregswalesart
Styling: #joneskcj
Creative: #agpnyc
Hair: #kimblehaircare
Makeup: #OfficialSheiks#Queen: August, 10th pic.twitter.com/oYgVzQJUjv— Chun-Li (@NICKIMINAJ) July 13, 2018
Harpers Bazaar Russia
Photo: #gregswalesart
Styling: #joneskcj
Creative: #agpnyc
Hair: #kimblehaircare
Makeup: #OfficialSheiks #Queen: August, 10th pic.twitter.com/mp0HFKMFF1— Chun-Li (@NICKIMINAJ) July 13, 2018
Many on social media, however, did respond to Van Ness’ criticisms with their own thoughts. Some argued that Russian citizens are different from the Russian government and that they deserve to see musicians they enjoy on their magazines.
But when Nicki does it...it’s always a problem. Oh, Here are a few US citizens that cover this magazine in case you didn’t know. Why didnt you say anything about them? pic.twitter.com/WGZGKRayGM
— Nicki M. Rants (@nickinewsfact) July 13, 2018
a flex but my russian publisher asked me to come to moscow for book events last year. i said no. nicki doesn't even need this promo. https://t.co/5UYahRIfAp
— Adam J. Kurtz (@adamjk) July 13, 2018
Jonathan, I don't agree with you at all. Russian government and russian people are not the same. There are a lot of russian fans (and many of them gay) of Nicki that also deserve to see her in the cover of a magazine.
— Enrique de Arriba (@enrikesp) July 13, 2018
YES, JVN!
It's simple: if you're not using your platform to elevate others, perhaps you don't deserve it. https://t.co/RwGFOMxQVB— cristina lópez g. (@crislopezg) July 13, 2018
Her Russian fans are actually very happy seeing her in one of their magazines for the first time. Goodbye, Jonathan.
— Jay (@JayArnoldz) July 13, 2018
As a russian trans person I always appreciate it when people from other countries acknowledge our struggle, but it shouldn't be the first thought when someone interacts with us/our media! We are not our government and we shouldn't be avoided like a plague
— kermitkin (@q_sil7) July 13, 2018
Russian magazines usually translate and reprint interviews from the same version of the magazine in another country. So it could easily be that she gave an interview to Bazaar in US or UK and then it got reprinted in Russia
— Luba Baladzhaeva (@cherity1313) July 13, 2018
I'm not a Nicki fan but you must have stretched so hard for this reach https://t.co/JumEc2mS0x
— Nikola (@niktaylorde) July 13, 2018
Van Ness’ fellow “Queer Eye” star Karamo Brown also weighed in:
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Yessss @jvn Agreed! https://t.co/v4XwBE1fXp
— Karamo Brown (@KaramoBrown) July 13, 2018
Van Ness followed up his initial tweet, responding to one person who questioned why he’d criticized Minaj for her Harper’s Bazaar Russia shoot but not models Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell. He said: “I’m not here for anybody doin it bae & Kate Moss & Naomi are British but equally uncool.”
In another tweet, Van Ness said he “didn’t mean to start a Twitter war.”
“I’m just disappointed in some people from where I’m sitting in life & start noticing things. Biggest hug to eryone,” he wrote.
Hmm... We wonder what Nicki will say.
Also on HuffPost
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.