The Las Vegas location of the Madame Tussauds wax museum has decided to boost security in response to visitors who have posed inappropriately with its wax casting of rapper Nicki Minaj. The museum debuted the statue, which depicts Minaj on her hands and knees, per last year’s “Anaconda” music video, earlier this month.
Minaj initially promoted the figure via Instagram, and then began posting photos that highlighted the trend of patrons posing with it in inappropriate ways. Madame Tussauds noticed too, and released a statement Tuesday describing the trend and explaining steps it plans to take to remedy the situation.
“We have been made aware of the inappropriate photograph”—which the Internet seems to agree was this one—”that was taken at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, involving Nicki Minaj’s new wax figure,” the museum wrote on Twitter. “Madame Tussauds attractions are interactive, immersive experiences, and our visitors are generally respectful towards the wax figures. It is unfortunate that this visitor decided to behave so inappropriately and we apologise for any offence this has caused.”
“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,” the statement concluded.
Madame Tussauds’ response comes a week after Minaj’s fellow female rapper Azaelia Banks condemned the figure via Twitter and said, “As much as that woman has accomplished, they had to put her on all fours… Why not standing up with a mic in her hand???”
Read the full statement below:
This article originally appeared on EW.com
- How an Alleged Spy Balloon Derailed an Important U.S.-China Meeting
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- Column: Elon Musk Should Not Be in Charge of the Night Sky
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
- 80 for Brady May Not Be a Masterpiece. But the World Needs More Movies Like This