Eve admits that Nicki Minaj made her feel insecure, Nicki responds

Eve and Nicki Minaj swapped kind words after Eve said that working with Nicki on the 2016 movie Barbershop: The Next Cut gave her anxiety. Mainly, because she was at the top of the female rapper food chain once, and that changed when Nicki came on the scene.

“I’ve lived through what happens when women project their own insecurities onto other women," wrote Eve in her new memoir Who's That Girl? "It happened at the start of my career and continued in waves as my fame grew. I wasn’t going to be that woman to someone else, but in order to do that, I had to physically and mentally prepare myself."

But once Eve met Nicki on set, her anxieties melted away, because she saw similarities between them.

“Nicki and I were actually fine on set," wrote Eve. "We got along well and shot our scenes together with no problems. It was nothing like what I had expected … I’d see her writing songs on her bus in between takes, hurrying offset to go hit some show dates over the weekend and then come right back on set for these 12-to-16-hour shoots, all while trying to hold together her personal life and her relationship.”

“It was at that moment that I didn’t envy her, and I kind of wanted to give her a hug," she continued. "I thought I was going to resent her, and really all I felt was compassion. I remembered being that person, the girl who felt like she had to do it all. The girl who was pressured to do it all, because it was all eyes on her. Instead of feeling insecure around Nicki, I started to sympathize with her."

Nicki responded on X and heaped praise on the Ruff Ryders rapper for being so candid.

"The level of grace; the level of emotional & spiritual maturity it takes to be this vulnerable & transparent is a sign of TRUE peace, happiness, fulfillment, & mastery of self. Self-reflection [at] its height," Nicki tweeted.

"I was one of the kids in NY watching Ruff Ryderz on TV. I DEFINITELY remember how when you took the game by storm, that there were some ppl who couldn’t hide their insecurities," she added. "Even tho it’s swept under the rug now, I remember that you handled it with grace but ALSO a big sprinkle of unapologetic TALENT & charisma. You soared & soared."

Eve — who admitted something similar about Nicki in an inteview with CNN's Laura Coates — responded by writing, "Dear Nicki, Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it. I have nothing but respect and am so proud to have seen you grow from strength to strength over the years as an artist, mom and always stayed true to yourself, lord knows it’s not easy for us ya’ll. Thank you for all the kind words and blessings to my family it goes without saying the feeling is mutual."