Accuser Says He Forced Himself On Her
Girlfriend Shantel Jackson Was Also On the Bus?
Rapper Nelly took to his Twitter account to defend himself against rape allegations on Saturday afternoon.
The 42-year-old “Country Grammar” rapper, whose real name is Cornell Haynes, Jr., was taken into custody after a concert in Auburn, WA early Saturday.
Police say a woman called 911 to report she was sexually assaulted by the “Hot in Herre” rapper on his tour bus.
Police caught up with the bus parked behind a Walmart Supercenter in a shopping mall near Auburn.
Legions of Nelly’s fans expressed shock and disappointment at the news.
“Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent,” Nelly tweeted after he was released without charges at 8:02 a.m. “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 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.”
He followed up by tweeting:
“In other words y’all know damm well I ain’t do no dumm S^*t like this..!! Love ..!!!!” the rapper added. “To be absolutely clear. I have not been charged with a crime therefore no bail was required. I was released, pending further investigation.”
Nelly’s female accuser told gossip webloid TMZ that the rapper invited her on his tour bus after his concert at the White River Amphitheater near Auburn.
She said things went south quickly when the rapper had forcible sexual intercourse with her after she told him no.
She said afterwards, a woman approached her and told her “You gotta go,” then escorted her off the bus and tossed a $100 bill at her.
Nelly is engaged to his longtime girlfriend Shantel Jackson. The couple star in E! Network’s new reality TV series The Platinum Life. Shantel was reportedly on the bus at the time of the incident.
In a statement to ET on Saturday, Nelly’s lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, said his client will be vindicated. He called the allegations against Nelly “completely fabricated” and he said he is “confident once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges.”
But the rape allegations were apparently too much for country music duo Florida Georgia Line, who are on tour with the rapper.
Nelly cancelled a scheduled performance in Ridgefield, Washington, this coming weekend. Ticket refunds are available at the point of purchase.
Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images
