Nelly seeks legal action against accuser after rape case is dropped
“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation,” says lawyer Scott Rosenblum
“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation,” says lawyer Scott Rosenblum
A day after his rape case was dropped, Nelly is now seeking legal action.
“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation,” his lawyer Scott Rosenblum said Friday in an issued statement.
“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.”
“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 adds.
–Fans share footage of Nelly’s onstage behavior night of alleged rape–
Rape case dropped
In October, the 42-year-old rapper was arrested after he was accused of raping a woman on his tour bus.
Prosecutors in King County, Washington said on Thursday that they would not be proceeding with the case because the accuser refused to cooperate with the investigation.
“We were confident, that what our investigation revealed from the outset of this allegation would ultimately be clear and Nelly would be vindicated,” Rosenblum said. “An affront to the real survivors of sexual assault”
The lawyer went on to say that Nelly supports advocacy groups that deal with sexual assault, and that the allegations that he raped a woman “is an affront to the real survivors of sexual assault.”
Days after his arrest, Nelly’s accuser said that she would not testify against him and that she wanted prosecutors to drop the case entirely.
‘Who will believe her?’
Through her lawyer, Karen Koehler, the accuser told Auburn Police in Washington State, as well as the King County D.A., to “put a halt to the criminal investigation of [Nelly]. She will not testify further in a criminal proceeding against him.”
At the time, Koehler said that her client believed the system failed her, and that she was in no position to stand up to someone with Nelly’s celebrity status.
“Who will believe her? People are saying horrible things already. She cannot handle this. She is about to break,” Koehler said.
Her client was especially upset, she said, by the fact that police informed the press that she met with authorities and prosecutors after she was told that no one would know about the meeting until the investigation concluded.
Rosenblum, Nelly’s lawyer, said the accuser’s “reckless accusation, once investigated thoroughly, was exposed for what it was, a fabrication. A fabrication that has caused Nelly and his family to suffer emotionally and financially.”
He says that his client wants a public apology and he is seeking legal action against the woman.
