Deon Cole's Nicki Minaj Joke Sparks Backlash

0:00On March 2nd, at the NAACP Image Awards, comedian Dion Cole made a pointed joke about Nicki Minaj during his set. He suggested she had not been acting like herself lately and needed some kind of intervention. The remarks seemed aimed at a recent support for Donald Trump, which has caught many by surprise given her past positions. Fans known as the Barbs quickly hit back hard, flooding Cole's direct messages with angry rants and insults. Some messages turned ugly, including racist attacks and even death threats against the comedian. Cole later posted screenshots of the worst ones online, sparking talk about how far fan loyalty can push people when comedy crosses lines.