Nicki Minaj is opting out of this year’s Met Gala because the event required attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

After a year and a half hiatus, the Met Gala returns to New York City, with the theme “In America: A Lexicon on Fashion.” This year’s high fashion fundraiser will be hosted by co-chairs Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka, as well as Tom Ford, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Nicki Minaj, a legend of the Met Gala red carpet, has announced that she will not be attending this year’s ceremony, as the event will require all attendees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In a tweet shared earlier today, Minaj detailed that she would not get vaccinated for the event. “If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now,” she wrote. “In the meantime my loves, be safe.”

Minaj revealed that she has previously contracted COVID-19, and is skeptical of the effectiveness of the vaccine after claiming that rapper Drake told her he caught COVID after he had been vaccinated.

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The rapper went on to tweet that “My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent.”

She continued, “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,” she wrote.

Despite her hesitancy, Minaj wrote that she will likely get vaccinated in the future, in order to go on tour.

“A lot of countrie won’t let ppl work w/o the vaccine,” she wrote. “I’d def recommend they get the vaccine. They have to feed their families.”

“I’m sure I’ll b vaccinated as well cuz I have to go on tour, etc.,” she added.

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