After Nicki Minaj joke, Deon Cole shares graphic and hateful DMs

The comedian shared graphic messages sent by angry Nicki Minaj fans, reigniting conversations about celebrity fandom, online harassment, and the limits of comedy in the social media era.

Deon Cole is pulling back the curtain on the darker side of internet fandom after hosting the 2026 NAACP Image Awards.

Days after taking the stage as host of the annual celebration of Black excellence, the comedian took to Instagram to share a series of graphic direct messages he says flooded his inbox following a joke referencing rapper Nicki Minaj during the ceremony.

Rather than issuing a lengthy statement, Cole allowed the screenshots to speak for themselves.

The slides showed anonymous accounts sending explicit insults, vulgar threats and deeply personal attacks, including cruel comments referencing the comedian’s late mother. The post quickly circulated online, drawing thousands of reactions from supporters shocked by the intensity of the harassment.

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A post shared by Deon Cole (@deoncole)

Fellow comic Jamie Foxx left an encouraging comment on the post that read, “One of the greatest comedic minds to ever grace the planet!!! we got u!!! Keep filling the universe with laughter!!!!”

Rapper and fellow Chicagoan Shawnna chimed in, “They ain’t tired of doing this [expletive] yet?”

Comedian Earthquake added, “I stand with you my dear brother 💯💯”.

The backlash appears tied to a moment from Cole’s opening monologue at the NAACP Image Awards, where he delivered a comedic “prayer” that touched on pop culture headlines and celebrity controversies. During the bit, he referenced Minaj while joking about her recent public discourse.

“I want you to bless our sister Nicki Minaj,” Cole said onstage. “She’s been going through a lot lately, but hasn’t been herself, Lord. I believe whatever is in her ass is affecting her brain. Take it out of her ass.”

The joke drew laughter inside the venue but quickly sparked debate online, particularly among Minaj’s fiercely loyal fanbase, known for mobilizing rapidly across social media platforms in defense of the rapper.

Minaj has not publicly responded to either Cole’s joke or his subsequent Instagram post.

Cole, a veteran comedian and actor known for roles in “Black-ish” and his stand-up specials, has built his career on sharp observational humor that often walks the line between uncomfortable truth and cultural critique. His Image Awards hosting gig leaned heavily into that tradition, mixing celebration with satire.

But the fallout highlights an increasingly familiar tension in the digital age: aggressive, highly organized online fandoms.

For many observers, Cole’s post shifted the conversation away from whether the joke landed and toward a broader concern about harassment culture online, particularly when criticism escalates into personal attacks.

By sharing the messages publicly, Cole appeared less interested in prolonging the feud than documenting what happens after the punchline fades and the internet takes over.

Watch the entire opening monologue below.