Trigger Warning: This article contains references to drugs and sexual assault
According to state patrol records obtained by NBC News, rapper Nelly, 49, whose government name is Cornell Haynes II, was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri, at around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, and charged with having four ecstasy pills — a controlled substance — and for not having insurance.
The state patrol, as per the publication, then delivered him to the Maryland Heights Police Department, where he was arrested on a failure to appear warrant stemming from an old traffic charge in the St. Louis suburb. The Hot in Herre rapper was released shortly by the MHPD, according to his arrest records.
Scott Rosenblum, Nelly’s long-time lawyer, addressed the charges levied against him immediately, claiming Nelly was not charged with drug possession. He was only arrested for “No Proof of Insurance” from 2018 on a warrant issued in December 2023 that he received no notice for.
In his statement per NBC News, the attorney also claimed that Nelly was “targeted by an overzealous, out-of-line officer,” who said a background check was required after Nelly won a certain amount at the casino where he was arrested. Rosenblum informed that a background check was not performed previously when Nelly made “similar or greater amounts” at the same venue.
He added that the officer who cuffed Nelly paraded him through the casino and conducted a search without probable cause, following which he claimed to have found ecstasy in his items. “We will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct,” Rosenblum said.
According to a People report, this wasn’t the musician’s first brush with law and order.
In October 2017, Nelly was arrested after a woman named Monique Greene accused him of sexually assaulting her on his tour bus in Washington. In September 2019, however, the charge was dropped after Greene backed out from testifying. Nelly maintained whatever happened between them was consensual, the aforementioned outlet reports.
In 2015, Nelly was taken into custody on several drug charges, including felony possession, by Tennessee state troopers.
The troopers reportedly found a plastic bag with five colored crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine; a small amount of marijuana; approximately 100 zip lock bags; and several handguns, including a gold-plated .50 caliber Desert Eagle pistol. Nelly was one of 15-20 people who had access to the bus on the road, said Scott Rosenblum in defense of his client in a statement at the time.
The rapper was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia in the case. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession, per People, before charges against him were wiped after he completed a diversion program.
In other news, Nelly is currently expecting his first child with Ashanti, whom he married in December 2023. Ashanti, also a singer, revealed the news during an April 2024 interview with Essence, saying she’s always looked forward to motherhood.
If you know someone who is struggling with substance abuse or sexual assault, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
ALSO READ: ‘Beautiful, Intimate Moment’: Ashanti Reflects On Nelly’s Proposal Amid Pregnancy
