Nicki Minaj opens up about being in 'toxic' relationships in past

Rapper Nicki Minaj opened up about love and getting real about her past "toxic" relationships, which she believed were not always healthy.

"When u see a woman in a toxic relationship, rather than laugh & say mean things, try to offer sound advice from your heart & root for her to learn her worth," the 36-year-old star tweeted on Sunday.

"We've all been there. I saw my parents fight & argue nonstop & never divorce, so I thought this was normal behavior..."

For the 'Queen' rapper, initially, she thought that "love had to hurt" when she was in a relationship.

"I really used to think love had to hurt. So I could never look down on anyone else," she wrote.

"We are merely human. It's not easy to leave. Especially in the world of IG where all people want to do is post-relationship goal pics for clout & attention. A man should make you feel safe, not afraid."

Minaj opened up even more and recalled being "afraid to speak" when she knew her partner at the time was in a "mood."

Concluding, she wrote, "I could maybe say one wrong thing that would get me hit," she shared. "So the difference you see in me now is that feeling when a woman feels lifted up, safe, appreciated & unconditionally loved. But I first had to learn how to love MYSELF."

"If you wouldn't let a man treat your mother, your sister or best friend like that b/c you LOVE them, then you wouldn't let a man treat YOU like that b/c you love YOU. This isn't about judging. We judge too much. Lift them up."

Her messages about love and relationships come just after three weeks after many of her fans believed that she had secretly tied the knot with her long-time love, Kenneth Petty.