Nelly Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
UPDATE: 8/7/24 8:00 p.m. ET.
Nelly’s legal team has slammed claims of the rapper allegedly possessing ecstasy at the time of his arrest.
“Mr. Haynes was not charged with drug possession. He was arrested for ‘No Proof of Insurance’ from 2018 on a warrant issued December 2023 that he received no notice. Mr. Haynes was targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,” Nelly’s attorney Scott Rosenblum said in a statement to Us Weekly. “After winning several jackpots, at a venue where Mr. Haynes frequently visits and entertains at its amphitheater; instead of just supervising the transfer of Mr. Haynes’ winnings, this officer felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants.”
According to Rosenblum, the officer “informed” Nelly that “a background check was mandated when a player won over a certain amount.” However, Nelly believed that was “untrue as he had won several jackpots for similar or greater amounts” before.
“Once Mr. Haynes was informed of the warrant for a No Proof of Insurance infraction, this officer felt compelled to handcuff Mr. Haynes behind his back and parade him through the casino in front of other patrons,” the statement continued. “This officer then conducted a search without probable cause where he claimed to have found alleged ‘ecstasy’ in Mr. Haynes’ personal property.”
Rosenblum added that since Nelly often travels internationally, he is” regularly asked to supply proof of no warrants” which also includes “FBI checks.” The lawyer reiterated that “there were none.”
“I am 100 percent confident this case will go nowhere. And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct,” the statement concluded.
Original story below:
Nelly was arrested at a local St. Louis casino on Wednesday, August 7.
Nelly, 49, was taken to the Maryland Heights Police Department in the early hours of the morning and later released, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Police confirmed to Us Weekly that the arrest was for a 6-year-old outstanding warrant for a failure to appear in court.
“We arrested him for Failure to Appear on an old traffic charge out of Maryland Heights, Missouri,” Officer Terry McComas told Us. “We received him from the State of Missouri Highway Patrol, Gaming Division at the Hollywood Casino this morning around 5 a.m.”
A spokesperson with the highway patrol told the New York Post that state troopers were onsite at the casino in accordance with Missouri Gaming Commission’s regulations. The spokesperson noted they do not believe there was any criminal activity on Nelly’s behalf.
At the time he was arrested, Nelly was charged with drug possession of four ecstasy pills and for the failure to appear.
Nelly’s arrest came less than two months after news broke that he and Ashanti secretly wed in St. Louis in December 2023. The couple, who met at a Grammy Awards press conference, dated on and off from 2003 and 2013. After their split, Ashanti, 43, and Nelly rekindled their romance in April 2023.
“Yeah, we cool again,” Nelly (born Cornell Haynes Jr.) said on the “Boss Moves With Rasheeda” podcast in September 2023. “I think it surprised both of us though. It wasn’t anything that I don’t think was planned. Before I felt like both of us were doing what we were doing before career-wise, and when you got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.”
Ashanti and Nelly found their way back to each other in 2023 after a series of ups and downs. The twosome sparked romance speculation in early 2003 after connecting at a Grammys event. Although they played coy about their status for years, Ashanti confirmed in March 2015 that they were a couple until 2013. Following […]
A source exclusively told Us at the time that Nelly and Ashanti were taking their relationship slow. “A few years ago, Ashanti never would’ve imagined reconciling with Nelly, but they’re enjoying spending time together,” the insider shared. “They don’t want to rush anything.”
Months later, Us broke the news that Nelly and Ashanti are expecting their first baby together, his fifth. (Nelly is a dad to daughter Chanelle, 30, and son Cornell Haynes III, 25, whom he shares with ex Channetta Valentine. He also previously adopted Shawn and Sydney, the children of his late sister Jackie Donahue, after her 2005 death.)
Ashanti confirmed the news during an interview with Essence in April, saying, “This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope and anticipation. Motherhood is something that I have looked forward to, and sharing this with my family, fiancé and loyal fans, who have been so supportive of my career, is an amazing experience.”
