Nicki Minaj Announces the Cast for Her Sitcom

Nicki Minaj has announced the cast for the forthcoming ABC Family sitcom based on her life via her Instagram account. The superstar rapper from New York City posted a screenshot of the press release containing the names of those who have landed roles in Nicki, the scripted comedy that will premiere on the channel after it changes its name to Freeform on Jan. 12. See the post below:

Ariana Neal stars as Nicki, a fictionalized version of the pre-fame Minaj; other principals include Selita Ebanks as her mother Grace, Wesley Johnson will play her father Vincent and McCarrie McCausland as her brother Jaylen. As an added bonus, Whoopi Goldberg is set to guest star as the family's neighbor, Miss Martha.

A premiere date has not been set for the show. Minaj says that she's been in attendance for a number of casting sessions and auditions, and she posted a subsequent message on Instagram explaining she and the producers' reasons for tapping Neal for the titular role:

This news comes almost exactly a year after Nicki dropped her blockbuster album, The Pinkprint. She has most recently made headlines for testifying in parole violation hearings for her boyfriend, the Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill. Her brother, Jelani Maraj, was recently arrested and charged with raping a 12-year-old child; it was erroneously reported by several news outlets that the rapper posted his $100,000 bond package.

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