Nelly's Rape Case Dropped by Prosecutors
Nelly is no longer facing an investigation.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells ET that the woman who accused the 43-year-old rapper, whose real name is Cornell Haynes Jr., of sexually assaulting her on his tour bus in Washington this past October is no longer pressing charges.
"Police responded to and investigated a sexual assault allegation involving Mr. Haynes. However, within days of her initial report to police, the complainant, through her attorney, informed investigators from the Auburn police department that she did not wish to assist in prosecution or the investigation of Mr. Haynes," reads the statement from the prosecuting attorney’s office. "While we have reviewed the existing investigative material, without the assistance of the complainant, this office is unable to proceed or fully assess the merits of the case."
This doesn't come as a surprise as the woman's lawyer, Karen Koehler, noted back in October that her client told the local police that she would not testify against Nelly and wanted to end the investigation.
Koehler posted an open letter on her website, and said her client, a 21-year-old college student, didn't "feel safe enough to pursue criminal charges against a celebrity for an alleged rape."
"She never wanted notoriety," Koehler wrote. "She never wanted a dime from that man. She wants to go back to school and to graduate. And this she cannot do if she remains hidden in her room, crying her heart out."
“She wishes she had not called 911 because she believes the system is going to fail her," she continued. "One day, maybe our world will change and thirty women will not be needed to (eventually) speak out against a celebrity who has hurt them in order to be believed. But that day has not come.”
Meanwhile, in a statement to ET, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, called the woman's sexual assault claim a "reckless accusation."
“We have received word via her lawyer's website that Nelly's accuser is no longer pursuing her false allegation," Rosenblum said. "This is welcome news, even though I was one hundred percent sure Nelly would be vindicated. This is simply not enough. Her reckless accusation, once investigated thoroughly, was exposed for what it was -- a fabrication."
Nelly was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman on his tour bus in Washington, just hours after he had performed at the White River Amphitheater. He was taken into custody at 4:37 a.m. and booked at the SCORE jail facility in Des Moines, Washington, and was later released at 8:02 a.m.
Following his arrest, Nelly tweeted about the allegation and said he was "completely innocent."
"Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent," Nelly wrote. "I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation."
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