Nelly Plans Legal Action to Clear His Name After Rape Charge Is Dropped

The sexual assault case against Nelly was dropped Thursday after the woman who accused him in October refused to testify in court or help with the investigation. Now, the singer is taking legal action to clear his name, according to a statement from his lawyer Scott Rosenblum.

The 21-year-old college student said Nelly assaulted her on a tour bus after his show in Washington. Nelly was then arrested for second-degree rape and briefly detained in a Des Moines jail. A letter posted on The Blast written by the victim's lawyer Karen Koehler explained that her client refused to go through with the allegations after a wave of intimidation and backlash from Nelly's team, but Rosenblum is refuting that claim.

“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation," the statement reads. "He has incurred economic loss and painfully has watched his family suffer. As a result, Nelly is planning to proceed with litigation as the first step in restoring his reputation.
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“A thorough investigation did show Nelly was a victim of deceitful allegation devoid of credibility. Credible evidence did show this accuser to be deceptive,” the statement continued.