American rapper and singer, Nelly, was arrested early on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 6, according to police records.
The Maryland Heights Police Department confirms that the rapper, 49, was arrested for failure to appear on an old traffic charge around 5 a.m. after being received by the State of Missouri Highway Patrol, Gaming Division at the Hollywood Casino.
According to an online arrest record, the rapper — whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr. — was initially arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled substance for allegedly having four ecstasy pills and a charge of no insurance..
Despite the arrest record showing otherwise, Nelly’s lawyer claimed the artist was “not charged with drug possession.”
Attorney Scott Rosenblum claims that “any other citizen” would have been “told to address it and allowed to go on their way” for having no proof of insurance but the officer, who has not been named, was “overzealous” and acted “out of line.” Rosenblum claimed the officer conducted a “search without probable cause” and added they will request an inquiry into the officer’s conduct.
A rep for Nelly has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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This is not the “Hot in Herre” musician’s first brush with the law — he’s faced multiple sexual assault allegations.
In October 2017, Nelly was arrested after a woman named Monique Greene claimed that the rapper had sexually assaulted her on his tour bus in Washington.
In a statement to The Blast, the Auburn Police Department confirmed that the “Ride Wit Me” rapper had been arrested. He was later released from police custody as authorities continued to investigate the claim.
A rep for Nelly denied the allegations via a statement from his lawyer that the woman’s claims are “a completely fabricated allegation” and they were confident he wouldn’t be charged.
By September 2019, prosecutors dropped the case after Greene refused to testify and did not file any charges. Nelly maintained they had consensual sex.
After facing accusations of an alleged sexual assault that happened in December 2017 following one of his concerts in England, Essex police stopped their investigation into the hip-hop star in April 2019.
The anonymous woman claimed that Nelly masturbated in front of her multiple times after his show at Cliffs Pavilion in Southend. He had denied the allegations.
Per the BBC, the woman refused to testify, prompting U.K. prosecutors to drop the case.
In April 2015, Nelly was also arrested on several drug charges, including felony possession by Tennessee state troopers, PEOPLE confirmed. However, his attorney denied that he was “associated” with the contraband that led to his arrest.
While traveling with five other people, Nelly had been stopped for failure to display a U.S. Department of Transportation and International Fuel Tax Association sticker, authorities said in a press release at the time.
Per the release, Troopers said they smelled the odor of marijuana in the vehicle.
In a subsequent probable cause search and investigation, troopers found a plastic bag with five colored, crystal-type rocks that tested positive for methamphetamine; a “small amount” of marijuana; approximately 100 small Ziploc bags and “numerous” handguns, including a gold-plated 50-caliber Desert Eagle pistol.
“Nelly was one of several individuals that was on a tour bus that was stopped and searched while traveling through Tennessee,” attorney Scott Rosenblum said in a statement at the time. “In fact, there had been 15-20 people that had access to the bus prior to the stop. Allegedly, a small quantity of contraband (MDMA aka molly or ecstasy) was discovered during the routine search.”
Nelly was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession, but the charges were eventually cleared from his record after completing a diversion program.
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Nelly is currently expecting his first child with Ashanti, whom he secretly married in December 2023.
In April 2024 the “Happy” musician, 43, revealed the pair were expecting their first baby together and discussed the life change in an interview with Essence.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti told the publication. “Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to.”
The “Foolish” singer also subtly confirmed the couple’s engagement when she referred to Nelly as her “fiancé.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
