Earlier this month, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of Nicki Minaj. The figure was based on Nicki's "Anaconda" video, and it showed the singer on all fours. When Azealia Banks heard about this, she noted on Twitter, "All ppl are gonna do is go up to that statue and take pictures shoving their crotch in her face and putting their crotch on her butt. That's not nice. I don't feel good about that."
Banks' prediction came true. In a statement released yesterday, the museum noted, "We have been made aware of the inappropriate photograph that was taken." "It is unfortunate that this visitor decided to behave so inappropriately… we are taking immediate steps to ensure more staff are present in this area and that the set around this particular figure is redesigned so that a picture like this cannot be taken again."
Update: In a statement emailed to The FADER, a rep for the museum explains why the figure is posed the way it is:
"Nicki Minaj is an artist our visitors told us time and time again they wanted to see in the attraction, so we were thrilled to be able to add her figure to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. We made the decision to celebrate Minaj’s unforgettable pose inspired by the “Anaconda” video because—thanks to her artistry and charisma—it resulted as one of the most iconic videos ever produced. The pose itself recreates an image Minaj published on her own social media channels as a teaser for the video. As with all people we immortalize in our attractions, her representatives were kept informed every step of the way during the figure-creation process and, once it was unveiled, Minaj herself repeatedly expressed her love of the figure on social media, calling the display “so iconic” and indicating her desire to come see it in person. Since unveiling Minaj’s figure and the “Anaconda”-inspired experience earlier this month, our visitors have responded with overwhelming positivity, and it has since become one of the most popular additions in the attraction."
A representative for Nicki Minaj did not immediately return a request for comment.
