Nicki Minaj Dancer Bitten by a Giant Snake During VMA Rehearsal
Nicki Minaj’s onstage wildlife got a little too wild when a giant snake bit one of her backup dancers during rehearsals for the MTV Video Music Awards on Friday.
MTV reports that a six-foot-long boa constrictor named Rocky took a chomp on the inside of the dancer’s left arm while Minaj and her crew were rehearsing their performance of “Anaconda.” The woman was immediately treated by an on-site medic before being taken to a local hospital out of “an abundance of caution,” according to Chris Velvin, director of production safety for Viacom Media Networks. The snake is non-venomous and the dancer’s wound is reportedly not life-threatening.
The incident occurred while the dancer had the snake draped around her shoulders. Minaj, who was onstage at the time but was not injured, asked “Did she get bit by the snake?” and quickly went over to the woman to see if she was all right.
Rocky is apparently a 15-year showbiz veteran without any previous biting incidents on his record, but his behavior has cost him his place in the spotlight during Sunday’s VMA broadcast. The producers now plan to use either a different boa constrictor or a python for the performance.
The snake bite wasn’t the only mishap to occur during Friday’s VMA events. The Associated Press reports that Iggy Azalea took a spill off the stage while performing “Fancy” with Charli XCX at a VMA benefit concert. The rapper seemed to be unharmed and told the crowd that she felt “very blessed” that she didn’t break her legs. Later, she even posted a video of her tumble on Instagram. “Sorry but it would be a crime not to share this with you all, I know I laughed. #StillFinishedtheSongTho #KeptOnRapping #TheShowMustGoOn.”