Nelly Arrested for Drug Possession in Missouri
Nelly's attorney tells Billboard the rapper was "targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer."
Nelly performs on Day 1 of BottleRock Napa Valley at Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2024 in Napa, Calif.
Nelly was reportedly arrested at the Hollywood Casino in St. Charles, Missouri, early Wednesday (Aug. 7) for drug possession and an insurance violation.
A source close to the situation says the hitmaker was detained at the casino — where he gambles and frequents as a performer often — and was paraded through the venue in handcuffs after discovering a warrant from a six-year-old insurance infraction.
According to the New York Post, Nelly — born Cornell Haynes Jr. — was arrested around 4:45 a.m. local time at the casino after an identification verification check was run on the 49-year-old.
Missouri State Highway Patrol flagged an “outstanding warrant for lack of insurance” from a previous traffic stop, which triggered a background check and search of Nelly where officers reportedly discovered him in possession of four ecstasy pills.
Nelly was brought into the Maryland Heights Police Department and booked but has already secured his release. A mugshot has since gone viral in the hours following the arrest. Nelly is yet to face the charges, which will be up to the prosecutor’s discretion.
KRCG was the first outlet to report the news of Nelly’s arrest earlier on Wednesday. Billboard has reached out to reps for Nelly and the Maryland Heights Police Department for comment.
Nelly will become a father again later this year when his fiancée Ashanti gives birth. The couple rekindled their romance last year after dating on-and-off for about a decade from 2003 to 2013 when they went separate ways for what they thought was for good.
“The growth has been like superb, you know, like on both ends,” Ashanti told Entertainment Tonight in June. “We are both at a place where like before, sometimes we would argue and walk out, slam the door, and not talk for a few days.”
Once the baby’s born, fans can expect Ashanti and Nelly to walk down the aisle and tie the knot at a later date. Ashanti will be a first-time mother while Nelly welcomes his fifth child.
