Jennifer Hough Says Kenneth Petty Is Using A Bogus Letter In $20M Case

Jennifer Hough‘s lawyer says a 1994 letter Kenneth Petty is using against her is bogus, escalating their long-running civil fight.

Last week, AllHipHop.com was the first to break the news that Petty asked a federal judge for permission to seek dismissal of Hough’s remaining $20 million lawsuit claims. His filing presents the letter as evidence that Hough previously softened or withdrew her account of the alleged 1994 attack.

“This exact tactic was attempted by Mr. Petty in 1994, and it was widely disregarded by the judge then just as it will be disregarded by the judge now,” Hough’s attorney, Marjorie Mesidor, told TMZ.

She added, “The concept of a 16-year-old minor producing a typewritten recantation without parental consent is highly suspicious on its face — and this is simply not her signature.”

The disputed document underpins Petty’s proposed dismissal request, not a new criminal ruling or an order clearing him. Petty’s lawyer says the document contradicts Hough’s lawsuit and supports his position that their sexual contact was consensual.

Petty has not won the motion, and Judge Eric N. Vitaliano has not ruled on whether the letter is genuine. The court must first decide whether Petty can formally pursue the request before considering the merits.

AllHipHop obtained a copy of the notarized letter attached to Petty’s filing. It begins: “I Jennifer Hough, would like to drop charges against Kenneth Petty.”

The letter then says, “On the day that I said I was rape it is half true and half false.” It describes an argument and says Hough had sex with Petty because he told her she could leave afterward.

“Than he told me if I would have sex with him, I can leave. So I did, because I was already late for school, and I just wanted to leave,” the document states.

It later says Petty “never disrespected me in any way” and calls him “not a rapist.” Mesidor’s response disputes that Hough wrote or signed the document.

AllHipHop’s earlier reporting detailed Hough’s account that Petty attacked her in Queens after confronting her at a bus stop in 1994. Petty later pleaded guilty to attempted rape, assault, unlawful imprisonment and weapon possession, serving four years in prison.

The current civil dispute stems from Hough’s claims that Petty and Nicki Minaj tried to secure a recantation after Petty faced a California case for failing to register as a sex offender. Hough alleged that Minaj personally called her during March 2020 after a childhood acquaintance known as Black reached out.

“She said that she got word that I was willing to help them out in a situation,” Hough said during an appearance on The Real. “I didn’t understand what she was referring to.”

Hough alleged Black later arrived with $20,000 and papers seeking a recantation, while relatives received a separate $500,000 offer. She further alleged pressure and threats forced her family to move from Georgia to Florida.

Hough sued Petty and Minaj in August 2021 over alleged intimidation, harassment and emotional harm. Minaj was later voluntarily dismissed from the action, leaving Petty as the sole remaining defendant.

Petty denies directing threats at Hough, denies wrongdoing and says she lacks direct evidence connecting him to any later contact. His lawyer also argues some of Hough’s claims arrived too late under the applicable deadlines.

Petty’s attorney has asked the court to delay an October 12 pretrial filing while it addresses the proposed dismissal motion.