The woman who accused rapper "Nelly" of raping her on his tour bus in Auburn last weekend is asking police to halt their investigation.
In a letter posted online, the woman's attorney, Karen Koehler, writes, "We do not live in a society where a 21-year-old college student can feel safe enough to pursue criminal charges against a celebrity for an alleged rape."
She goes on to say the woman will not testify further in a criminal proceeding. Nelly has maintained his innocence in several posts on social media. Read the entire letter from the woman's attorney here.
“Every step of the way since the time she called 911, she wishes she had not,” Koehler wrote. “Not because what happened didn’t occur exactly the way she described it. Not because she did not want the police to charge the celebrity with alleged rape. She wishes she had not called 911 because she believes the system is going to fail her.”
Police arrested rapper Nelly Saturday after the woman said he raped her in a town outside Seattle, an accusation the Grammy winner's attorney staunchly denied.
Nelly was released from jail Saturday while police continued to investigate.
Auburn police said they received a 911 call from the woman and they arrested Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., about 4:37 a.m. Saturday.
KIRO 7 went to the site where Auburn police say they responded to the 911 call: a parking area behind the Walmart store in Auburn near the outlet mall.
Melinda O’Hara was parked in the lot next to the Walmart and said she was shocked to hear that Nelly would be accused of a crime such as sexual assault, “I have an entire family of Nelly fans, including mom. He does have good music.”
One trucker who spoke to KIRO 7, Doug Bodette, said he saw a tour bus early Saturday morning, describing a “black bus, black trailer with blue lights underneath; they were sitting here where I’m sitting right now, around 3:30 this morning.”
O’Hara said she wondered if Nelly was really involved in the alleged crime, “I personally hope it turns out to be a false allegation.”
Nelly's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said Saturday afternoon the singer was released from jail pending the investigation.
Nelly performed at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, on Friday night. He's on tour with Florida Georgia Line.
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Nelly's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, called the rape claim a "completely fabricated allegation."
"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," Rosenblum said in an email.
Nelly is a three-time Grammy winner, including for the song "Hot in Herre," which won the best male rap solo performance award in 2002.
The song has been sampled and re-recorded by other artists and is ranked No. 21 on a Rolling Stone magazine list of top summer songs. Nelly is also known for the hits "My Place" and "Over and Over." He appeared in the 2005 film "The Longest Yard."
The following year he shared a Grammy for the song "Shake Ya Tailfeather" with Murphy Lee and Sean Combs.
Nelly also tweeted Saturday afternoon.
"Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation," he wrote. "I am completely innocent. I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation."
Information from the Associated Press is included in this report.
Associated Press
