Nelly’s dilemma: Rapper was arrested near St. Louis for alleged possession of ecstasy
Nelly’s got a little bit of a dilemma on his hands: a run-in with St. Louis police.
The “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma” rapper was arrested in his home state early Wednesday morning, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Police arrested the 49-year-old musician at a St. Louis-area casino where he was allegedly carrying four ecstasy pills.
Nelly (real name Cornell Iral Haynes Jr.) was held and released by police in Maryland Heights, a city northwest of St. Louis. The Highway Patrol database also lists a citation for operating a vehicle without proper proof of insurance, though Nelly initially received this citation in June 2018 in Maryland Heights. A judge issued a warrant in December 2023, and it remained outstanding.
Nelly and Ashanti, expecting their first child, are officially husband and wife after quietly marrying late last year, according to a legal documents database.
Scott Rosenblum, a legal representative for Nelly, said the Grammy winner had won several casino jackpots and when he sought to collect them, the officer who would have supervised the transaction “needlessly” ran a search for warrants. Once the officer found the outstanding warrant, he cuffed Nelly’s hands behind his back and “felt compelled” to “parade him through the casino in front of other customers,” Rosenblum said.
Rosenblum also alleged that the police official had no probable cause to justify searching Nelly. The rapper, who is expecting a child with singer Ashanti, wasn’t notified of the warrant and did not know about it, Rosenblum said.
“I am 100% confident this case will go nowhere,” Rosenblum said. “And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”
Rosenblum did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Nelly’s arrest comes months after legal documents from the St. Louis County Recorder database revealed that he and Ashanti (full name Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas) married on Dec. 27, 2023.
Nelly and Ashanti, expecting their first child, are officially husband and wife after quietly marrying late last year, according to a legal documents database.
In April, the “Baby” singer, 43, confirmed speculation that she is starting a family with Nelly.
“This new year of my life is such a blessing full of love, hope, and anticipation,” Ashanti told Essence in April. “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.”
The two musicians gave love another shot last year after dating on and off for about 11 years before breaking up in 2013. The baby will be Ashanti’s first and Nelly’s fifth. He shares daughter Chanelle, 30, and son Cornell, 25, with his ex-girlfriend Channetta Valentine. He also adopted the two children of his late sister Jackie Donahue after she died of leukemia in 2005.
Nelly has had previous run-ins with law enforcement. In April 2015, he was arrested and faced felony drug charges in Tennessee. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was able to have his record expunged after less than a year of probation.
Janet Jackson added 35 shows to her Together Again Tour, launching the new leg in Palm Desert on June 4 and stopping at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on June 8.
Two years later he was arrested in Auburn, Wash., after a woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her on his tour bus. The woman sued Nelly, who sued back. The case was settled in September 2018.
Earlier this year, Nelly took the stage with Janet Jackson as part of her Together Again tour which included six shows across California.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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