RAPPER Nelly has been arrested and booked for drug possession after getting pulled over before dawn on Wednesday.
The Grammy winner was seen with glassy eyes in his mugshot and appeared to have a slight smile on his face.
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According to arrest records, Nelly, 49, was arrested at Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights, Missouri, a suburb outside St. Louis.
The Hot in Herre rapper was pulled over by the Maryland Heights Police Department and was cited for possession of four ecstasy pills and having no insurance.
The incident occurred early Wednesday morning and Nelly was taken into custody around 4:45 am.
In a statement to The U.S. Sun, Maryland Heights police said, "We arrested him for Failure to Appear on an old traffic charge out of Maryland Heights, MO.
"We received him from the State of Missouri Highway Patrol, Gaming Division at the Hollywood Casino this morning around 5 am."
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Nelly, full name Cornell Haynes II, has since been released.
In a statement to Us Weekly, Nelly's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, denied the drug charge claim.
“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.
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"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," the lawyer said.
In his mugshot first obtained by TMZ, the rap music star wore a white T-shirt underneath a black hooded sweatshirt.
Pregnant Ashanti, 43, debuts baby bump in skintight blue dress at Miami conference after announcing engagement to Nelly
The U.S. Sun has contacted reps for Hollywood Casino and Nelly for comment.
OTHER ARRESTS
This isn't the first time Nelly has gotten into legal trouble.
In 2015, Nelly was arrested on drug charges after police searched the rapper's coach bus after it failed to display a US Department of Transportation and International Fuel Tax Association sticker.
Police claimed they smelled marijuana inside the bus.
During their search, authorities found methamphetamine, marijuana, and several handguns.
He was charged with felony possession of drugs, simple possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A similar incident occurred in 2012 when police found marijuana, heroin, and a loaded gun in Nelly's tour bus during a border patrol checkpoint in Texas.
PAST INCIDENTS
In 2018, Monique Green came forward and claimed that Nelly allegedly sexually assaulted her on his tour bus in Seattle, Washington, in 2017.
Nelly & Ashanti's Relationship Timeline
Fans are in awe of Nelly and Ashanti's love story, as they've undergone several milestones in their romance. Here's a breakdown of their relationship timeline.
- Nelly and Ashanti met at a Grammy Awards press conference in 2003 and began dating shortly after.
- In 2009, rumors circulated that the couple had called it quits.
- They squashed the chatter when they attended rapper TI's wedding the following year.
- After 10 years of dating, Nelly and Ashanti eventually split in 2013.
- In February 2023, rumors began brewing that the exes had rekindled their relationship after fans spotted clues on social media.
- They further fueled rumors that they were back together that April when they were seen together at a boxing match in Las Vegas, Nevada, and holding hands upon leaving the venue.
- Nelly confirmed that he and Ashanti were an item again during an interview in September 2023.
- In April 2024, the duo announced they were engaged and expecting their first child together.
- Later that June, it was revealed that the pair had secretly tied the knot six months earlier.
Nelly argued that it was consensual but was later arrested due to suspicion of rape.
Her case was dropped after she refused to testify in court, and prosecutors never filed any charges.
Monique went on to sue Nelly after they dropped her case, which caused Nelly to countersue.
However, both parties dropped the cases.
In 2019, a woman came forward and claimed that Nelly allegedly masturbat*d in front of her multiple times after a concert in England in 2017.
Nelly denied the accusations as he went under criminal investigation.
After the woman refused to testify in court, the case against Nelly was dropped by UK prosecutors.
AWW BABY!
Despite his legal past, Nelly is expecting a baby with his wife singer Ashanti.
Back in April, Ashanti posted a video on her Instagram profile with the caption, "Baby baby baby baby…."
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The clip showed the Foolish singer preparing to hit the stage as her mom asked her how long it was until showtime.
Ashanti walked out behind a curtain to show her mom a positive pregnancy test and revealed, "About nine months."
The video also seemed to promote the at-home fertility test brand, Proov.
This will be Nelly's fifth child and Ashanti's first.
Nelly is a father to a daughter named Chanelle and a son Cornell Jr. with his ex Channetta Valentine.
He is the adopted father of his late sister Jackie Donahue's kids Shawn and Sydney.
Jackie died in 2005 from leukemia.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Also in April, Ashanti revealed that she and Nelly were engaged, but no ceremony date was known.
In June, it was reported that the couple secretly tied the knot in December 2023
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