Police arrested rapper Nelly early Saturday after a 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 continue to investigate the accusation that he raped a woman on his tour bus.
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.
Rosenblum said Nelly will not perform at his Saturday night show in Ridgefield, Washington. Nelly is on tour with Florida Georgia Line.
He will have his first appearance before a judge "at some point," Stocker said.
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 was also tweeting 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."