The woman who accused rapper Nelly of sexually assaulting her on his tour bus in Washington last weekend has told the local police that she will not testify against him, and wishes to end the investigation.
The woman who accused rapper Nelly of sexually assaulting her on his tour bus in Washington last weekend has told the local police that she will not testify against him, and wishes to end the investigation, her lawyer, Karen Koehler, said on Friday.
Koehler posted an open letter on her website, and said her client, a 21-year-old college student, didn't "feel safe enough to pursue criminal charges against a celebrity for an alleged rape." Nelly's lawyer told ET last week that the allegations against the 42-year-old rapper are "completely fabricated."
“She is telling the Auburn Police Department and the King County Prosecutor's Office to put a halt to the criminal investigation of Cornell Haynes, Jr. (aka "Nelly")," Koehler writes. "She will not testify further in a criminal proceeding against him."
"She never wanted notoriety," Koehler continues. "She never wanted a dime from that man. She wants to go back to school and to graduate. And this she cannot do if she remains hidden in her room, crying her heart out."
Koehler says her client can't handle the "horrible things" people have said to her, and that her privacy was compromised.
“She wishes she had not called 911 because she believes the system is going to fail her," Koehler writes. "One day, maybe our world will change and thirty women will not be needed to (eventually) speak out against a celebrity who has hurt them in order to be believed. But that day has not come.”
In a statement to ET on Saturday, Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, called the woman's sexual assault claim a "reckless accusation."
“We have received word via her lawyer's website that Nelly's accuser is no longer pursuing her false allegation," Rosenblum said. "This is welcome news, even though I was one hundred percent sure Nelly would be vindicated. This is simply not enough. Her 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. It is not enough. This type of reckless allegation is an affront to women who are real victims of sexual assault. I am suggesting that Nelly seeks a public apology. I am further suggesting that Nelly considers whatever legal options are available to him. Nelly humbly thanks his fans for their unwavering loyalty.”
Nelly was arrested early Saturday morning for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman on his tour bus in Washington, just hours after he had performed at the White River Amphitheater. He was taken into custody at 4:37 a.m. and booked at the SCORE jail facility in Des Moines, Washington, and was later released at 8:02 a.m.
"Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation," Rosenblum told ET in a statement at the time. "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."
Last Sunday, Nelly also tweeted about the allegation, and said he was "completely innocent."
"Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent," Nelly wrote. "I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation."