But after her solo “Anaconda” moment, when she re-emerged to do her verse on “Bang Bang,” something was wrong.
Jessie J didn’t seem to care.
…Jessie J seized the opportunity to show off everything her hands were able to do, without the burden of having to hold her dress up.
Minaj clutched her dress together with both hands as she rapped her part on Ariana Grande's song "Bang Bang," the apparent victim of an onstage wardrobe malfunction during Sunday night's MTV VMA Awards.
She even told The Hollywood Reporter backstage that she "ran out of time getting zipped up," and so had to make do as best she could.
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But now TMZ is reporting that Minaj faked the whole thing.
An eyewitness to the "Bang Bang" performance dress rehearsal told the site that she wore the same dress onstage, and it was unzipped then as well. The source also said she was grabbing it in a "weird" way to get a better idea of how much would be exposed.
Minaj took to Instagram to explain herself.
"God is good. As long as a nipple didn't come out to play, I'm fine. Love my team. CASPER, Rushka, Adam, Oscar, Joyce, Gee... Many more to name but they're all winners! No weak links. There's no greater feeling than having ppl who inspire u and who work passionately and relentlessly to get the job done."
The episode bore an eerie resemblance to Janet Jackson's famous malfunction onstage at the 2004 Super Bowl half-time show with Justin Timberlake. Jackson also claimed when he ripped her top off that it was an accident, but the elaborate decoration of her nipples underneath her top -- and the way Timberlake ripped off her shirt -- had some crying foul.
On purpose or on accident, it's not Minaj's first on-air slip, either. In 2012 her top slid down during a performance on "Good Morning America," giving Americans more than they bargained for that morning.