According to TMZ, Megan Thee Stallion has been threatened with legal action by Richard Kanka, the father of Megan Kanka, who in 1994 was abducted, raped, and murdered by her neighbor Jesse Timmendequas, who had previously been convicted of child molestation. The national attention prompted by the murder led to the creation of Megan’s Law, an expansion of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which requires communities to be notified when a person convicted of sexual crimes moves into a neighborhood.
Kanka’s threat was prompted by a line referencing Megan’s Law from Megan Thee Stallion’s new single “Hiss.” In it, the rapper denigrates a rival — thought by fans to be Nicki Minaj — with the taunt, “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law.” Fans have speculated that the jab was aimed at Minaj, with whom Thee Stallion appears to have fallen out, as Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, was sentenced to a year of house arrest in 2022 for failing to register as a sex offender when the couple first moved to California. The couple is also embroiled in a lawsuit with Jennifer Hough, as Hough claims that they have been harassing her to recant her 1995 testimony so as to have Petty’s original conviction overturned and his name removed from the federal sex offenders’ registry.
While Kafka has not actually filed a lawsuit — and would have pretty dubious legal grounds for doing so in the first place — it’s clear he disapproves of the lyrical reference to the law named after his daughter. While he hadn’t heard the song as of TMZ’s writing, he was disappointed that the lyrics were explicit and that the law was mentioned specifically to take down a rival, instead of shedding light on the tragedy.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The past few days of drama between Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj have put a newfound spotlight on Megan’s Law, a groundbreaking set of statutes and regulations intended to protect children and increase public awareness about convicted sexual offenders living in communities. New Jersey introduced the law in response to the rape and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994 at the hands of her neighbor, Jesse Timmendequas.
The abduction and murder of Megan Kanka shattered the quiet town of Hamilton Township, NJ, in July 1994. The perpetrator, Jesse Timmendequas, was not a stranger to the Kanka family. He was a neighbor living just across the street. Timmendequas, who was convicted of child molestation, had managed to keep his dark past hidden from the Kanka family. This is a result of laws at the time that didn’t require sex offenders to disclose such information.
Megan’s abduction and subsequent murder sent shockwaves through the community. That moment left residents horrified and questioning how such a tragedy could have occurred in their safe neighborhood. The Kanka family’s grief was compounded by the devastating realization that existing laws had failed to protect their daughter, prompting a call for change.
The Birth Of Megan’s Law
US President Bill Clinton (R) shakes hands with 10-year-old Jeremy Kanka as his mother Maureen (rear) looks on at ceremonies 17 May 1996 at the White House where Clinton signed legislation called Megan’s Law after Jeremy’s sister, who was raped and murdered two years ago by a man who had twice previously been convicted of child molestation. Megan’s Law is designed to protect children from known sex offenders. AFP PHOTO STRINGER (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
In the aftermath of Megan’s tragic death, her parents, Richard and Maureen Kanka, channeled their grief into advocacy. Through their determination, they fought to prevent other families from enduring the same heart-wrenching pain. Their efforts led to the creation of Megan’s Law. This landmark piece of legislation aimed to empower communities with information about convicted sex offenders living in their midst.
Lawmakers signed Megan’s Law into federal law in 1996. This helped establish a framework that required law enforcement agencies to make certain information about registered sex offenders available to the public. The primary goal was to provide families with the tools to protect their children and loved ones from potential threats lurking in their communities.
Megan’s Law ushered in a new era of transparency, making sex offender registries accessible to the public. The information disclosed included the names, photographs, and addresses of registered sex offenders. Megan’s Law enables communities to stay informed about potential risks in their neighborhoods. Implementing Megan’s Law became a significant step forward in recognizing the importance of community awareness and safety.
Over the years, the law has undergone modifications and adaptations as states tailored its provisions to address specific concerns and challenges. The tiered system used to categorize offenders based on their perceived risk level became a common feature, allowing law enforcement to prioritize the dissemination of information to the public. The law has undoubtedly increased public awareness and influenced the way communities approach the issue of sex offender registration.
In 2016, former President Obama signed International Megan’s Law. This law required those found guilty of sexual offenses against children to notify foreign countries they plan to travel to.
“Megan’s Law” gained renewed attention on Friday, January 27th after the release of Megan Thee Stallion’s song, “HISS.” “These h*es don’t be mad at Megan, these h*es mad at Megan’s Law,” she raps in the song. Many believed this to be a jab at Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, a convicted sex offender.
Megan Kanka’s father, Richard, is reportedly “fuming” at Megan Thee Stallion’s reference to the law, per TMZ. Although he acknowledged that Megan might have brought new attention to Megan’s Law, he stated that Megan’s mention of his daughter is “highly offensive” to the family and her memory. Moreover, he’s reportedly considering legal action against Megan Thee Stallion, although it’s unclear how successful that would be in court.
According to TMZ, Kanka feels as though the use of his daughter’s case in the song was simply offensive. One of his children brought the song to his attention, and he has been upset about it ever since. It is important to note that Kanka, a MAGA Republican, hates rap music. Based on this fact alone, it seems like his distaste for the lyrics may just be due to the source, and not the actual content. Regardless, he thinks he might be able to pursue legal action, although as TMZ notes, there is not much of a case there.
When the song came out, Moniece Slaughter chimed in on the Megan’s Law mention and said the family should sue Meg. “Your wound is reopened because a b-tch used it as a bar in a diss track. Smh. I would take every red cent from those singles sales,” she said in a tweet-and-delete. Fans came after her for the take, however, she is now doing a victory lap after the news about Richard Kanka’s feelings about the song. “It’s called EMOTIONAL DAMAGES AND I SAID IT YESTERDAY NOW IM SCREAMING IT TODAY I TOLD YA’LL D*MMIES.” As one fan pointed out, Nicki should also be sued, in that case, as she rhymed “Megan’s Law” with “Megan Raw.”
No matter what, this is a very sensitive subject and it’s easy to see why people are upset. Regardless, Meg is doing her own thing, and in a few weeks from now, the controversy will have subsided. Let us know your thoughts on this situation, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest news and updates from around the music world.
As users online praise Megan’s display of wit, one family is calling the rapper out for being insensitive. In a conversation with TMZ, Richard Kanka expressed disgust with Megan Thee Stallion’s line and even threatened her with legal action.
As one of the leading forces behind getting the legislation passed, Kanka didn’t take too kindly to his late daughter’s death being used as a punchline in a petty rap feud. Although Kanka admits that he didn’t listen to the entirety of the song, he had a chance to pull up the lyrics and felt that it downplayed the severity of his late daughter’s brutal death by a sex offender.
Megan Thee Stallion has not issued a response to Kanka’s remarks. But referencing “Hiss,” according to Megan, she’s Teflon in the courtroom.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Moniece Slaughter has claimed in now-deleted tweets the family of Megan Kanka should sue Megan Thee Stallion for “emotional damage” after the femcee reference the law in her recent diss track, “Hiss”. “Your wound is reopened because a b-tch used it as a bar in a diss track. Smh. I would take every red cent from those singles sales,” Moniece mused on social media. However, there was little agreement amongst fans, who argued that the bar actually raised awareness of the law. Furthermore, Moniece erroneously referred to the law’s namesake as Megan Kansa. The family name is “Kanka”.
Megan’s Law is a state law in New Jersey passed in the wake of the 1994 rape and murder of then-seven-year-old Megan Kanka by her neighbor. The law better monitors the post-prison release movements of sex offenders and requires them to register and re-register with the state after moving. Additionally, Kenneth Petty, the husband of Nicki Minaj, was subject to Megan’s Law after failing to register with the state after the couple moved. Petty served four years in prison for the attempted rape of a minor in 1996.
Meanwhile, “unbothered” would be the word to describe Megan Thee Stallion as she rolled up to the Players’ Ball this weekend. Rocking a huge blonde afro, white bralette, and sheer white pants, Megan made it clear she didn’t care about the internet meltdown she had caused. She twerked for the cameras and was later seen grinding on Victoria Monet as her laid-back attitude continued throughout the night.
Furthermore, fans were extremely here for Megan living her best life throughout the night. “The girl was shot and everyone laughed at her. Her own community made a mockery out of a tragedy, she overcame! Love your life Meg!!” one fan said. “ …. Meagan got the body Nicki tried to buy,” another fan savagely fired off. “Now this is Queen sh-t! Enjoy life ignore the bullsh-t! Make en more mad!!! I liveeeee!!” cheered a third.
