Rapper Nelly arrested on sexual assault allegation

Grammy-winning rapper Nelly was arrested near Seattle early on Saturday after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her on a tour bus, police said.

The woman dialed 911 to report the sexual assault had occurred when the bus was parked at a shopping center in Auburn, which is less than 20 miles (32 km) south of Seattle, local police said in a statement.

Nelly, best-known for the hit songs Ride Wit Me, Hot in Here and Dilemma, performed at an amphitheater in Auburn on Friday night as part of a tour with country pop group Florida Georgia Line.

Patrol officers investigated the woman’s report, and Nelly was arrested before dawn, Auburn police said in the statement.

He was booked into the South Correctional Entity Regional Jail in Des Moines, Washington, on suspicion of sexual assault.

Auburn police had no further details to release, the statement said.

Scott Rosenblum, Nelly’s attorney, said Saturday night that his client had been released from jail.

“Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation,” Rosenblum said in statement provided to Reuters. “I am confident once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges.”

Nelly, who was born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. and grew up in the St. Louis area, made his debut in 2000 with the album Country Grammar, which sold more than 10 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

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