Rape Charges Against Nelly Dropped, Now The Singer Seeks Legal Action To Clear His Name
Nelly is pressing legal charges against the woman who accused him of rape.
The rapper's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, told the press that the Grammy winner, who was arrested and detained by the police for rape two months ago, will be pursuing legal action against his unnamed accuser. This comes a day after the case against the Dilemma singer was dropped by the attending prosecutor.
Nelly Retaliates
"Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation," Rosenblum tells Page Six. "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."
In October, Nelly was arrested for allegedly raping a woman in his tour bus after one of his concerts in Washington. The victim, a 21-year-old college student, phoned 911 to report that she was sexually assaulted by the 43-year-old rap star.
However, the woman who refused to be named has initially asked the authorities to halt the investigation against the rapper. She also declined to testify.
Karen Koehler, the alleged victim's lawyer, published a letter on her website, explaining why her client no longer wants to cooperate with the investigation. The young woman, it said, regrets calling 911 because she feels that the system is going to fail her.
The lawyer also said that her client was further distressed by the press surrounding the case. Koehler claimed that reporters got a hold of the student, phoned her and pretended to be her friend, only hours after the incident and shortly after the news broke.
Immediately after he was released by the authority with no charges, Nelly went to social media to denounce the allegation.
Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. 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.
— Nelly_Mo (@Nelly_Mo) October 7, 2017
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.
— Nelly_Mo (@Nelly_Mo) October 7, 2017
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_Mo (@Nelly_Mo) October 7, 2017
The case remained open for weeks despite the woman's noninvolvement, letting the prosecutor decide whether to press charges against the rapper. However, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office ultimately decided to drop the case because the woman's refusal to cooperate made it impossible for them to take further actions.
Rosenblum adds that their camp was confident that the rapper will be cleared of all allegations from the beginning.
"A thorough investigation did show Nelly was a victim of deceitful allegation devoid of credibility," the statement reads. "Credible evidence did show this accuser to be deceptive."
Nelly, according to his lawyer, supports various advocacy groups centered on helping women battle sexual assault. They call the rape allegation against the rapper "an affront to the real survivors of sexual assault."
