DES MOINES, Wash. (CBSNews) — The rapper Nelly was arrested Saturday (Oct. 7) after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in his tour bus, police in Washington state said.
Auburn police said a woman called 911 at 3:48 a.m. on Saturday to report that she was sexually assaulted. She said the rapper, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr., assaulted her on a tour bus parked on Outlet Collection Drive after his performance at the White River Amphitheater.
The rapper was taken into custody and booked at a jail facility in Des Moines, Washington. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
TMZ first reported the arrest. Nelly’s lawyer issued a statement to the website calling the allegations “completely fabricated.”
“Our initial investigation, clearly establishes the allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness,” the statement said. “I am confident, once the scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges. Nelly is prepared to pursue all all legal avenues to redress any damage caused by this clearly false allegation.”