Nelly’s lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, is speaking out on behalf of the rapper after it was revealed prosecutors are dropping the rape case against him because his accuser has declined to participate in the investigation.
“The formal close of the investigation into the false allegations made against Nelly is of course welcome —however expected. We were confident, that what our investigation revealed from the outset of this allegation would ultimately be clear and Nelly would be vindicated,” Rosenblum said in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, December 15. “A thorough investigation did show Nelly was a victim of deceitful allegation devoid of credibility. Credible evidence did show this accuser to be deceptive. We have been in constant communication with the King County authorities and welcomed and appreciated the diligence in which the authorities proceeded. Leaving no stone unturned.”
As previously reported, Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was arrested on October 7 for allegedly raping a woman claiming she had been assaulted on Nelly’s tour bus at 3:48 a.m. in Auburn, Washington. The 42-year-old rapper was on tour with country-pop duo Florida Georgia Line and had performed in Washington hours before the alleged incident.
Nelly was taken into custody, and was later released. He denied the claims from the beginning, and St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Thursday, December 14, that Washington State prosecutors have dropped the charges against the rapper because his accuser has refused to cooperate.
The statement continues: “Nelly recognizes the need for women who are victims of sexual assault of any kind to be heard and our existing systems changed. Nelly supports various women’s advocacy groups that deal with Sexual Assault, and violence against women and is dedicated to raising awareness and furthering the conversation to about bring about necessary changes. However, this type of reckless false allegation cannot be tolerated as it is an affront to the real survivors of sexual assault.”
“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation,” it concluded. “He has incurred economic loss and painfully has watched his family suffer. As a result Nelly is planning to proceed with litigation as the first step in restoring his reputation.”
