Hours after a woman reported to authorities that Nelly had sexually assaulted her, the rapper had been released from jail. "I am completely innocent,” Nelly said on Twitter.
The rapper Nelly was jailed early Saturday following a Friday night concert near Seattle after a woman reported he had sexually assaulted her, Auburn police said in a news release.
A lawyer who said he was representing Nelly said Saturday morning his client had been released from jail.
A woman called 911 at 3:48 a.m. Saturday to say she had been assaulted on a tour bus parked near Walmart at The Outlet Collection shopping mall in Auburn, according to the police-department news release.
Auburn officers took Nelly into custody at 4:37 a.m., booking him into the SCORE (South Correctional Entity) jail in Des Moines, the release said.
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Nelly’s given name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. He performed Friday night at White River Amphitheatre.
Nelly, 42, took to Twitter Saturday to say he’s “beyond shocked” by the allegation.
“I am completely innocent,” he tweeted. “I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation.”
In other tweets, he said he’d pursue every legal option to address the claim. He also thanked his fans and apologized to loved ones for the embarrassment caused by “putting myself in a situation where I could be victimized.”
Earlier in the day, lawyer Scott Rosenblum, of St. Louis, also said his client planned to fight the allegation.
In a statement, Rosenblum added, “Our initial investigation clearly establishes this allegation is devoid of credibility and is motivated by greed and vindictiveness. I am confident, once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges. Nelly is prepared to address and pursue all legal avenues to redress any damage caused by this clearly false allegation.”