The rapper known as Nelly was arrested early Saturday for allegedly raping a woman in his tour bus in Washington state, police said.
An unidentified woman called 911 at 3:48 a.m. PT on Saturday to report that she was allegedly sexually assaulted by the “Hot in Herre” rapper on his tour bus, which was parked outside of a Walmart in Auburn, Washington, according to the Auburn Police Department. Nelly had performed at the nearby White River Amphitheater just hours before on Friday night, police said.
The 42-year-old Grammy winner said this afternoon in a series of tweets, “I am completely innocent. I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation.”
I do want to apologize to my loved ones for the embarrassment and for putting myself in a situation where I could be victimized by this false and defaming allegation.
I do want to apologize to my loved ones for the embarrassment and for putting myself in a situation where I could be victimized by this false and defaming allegation.
I also want to thank my fans for their unwavering support. They know me. I assure you I will be vindicated. And I assure you, I will pursue every legal option to address this defaming claim. Thank you
Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was taken into custody at 4:37 a.m. PT and booked at the South Correctional Entity jail in Des Moines, Washington, police said.
According to The Associated Press, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said the rapper was released from jail.
Rosenblum said in a statement Saturday obtained by ABC News that Nelly “is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation.”
“Our initial investigation, clearly establishes, this allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness,” Rosenblum added. “I am confident, once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges. Nelly is prepared to address and pursue all legal avenues to redress any damage caused by this clearly false allegation.”
The Auburn Police Department said it is continuing to investigate the incident.