Nelly Takes Legal Action Against Accuser After Rape Charges Dropped

On Thursday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Washington announced that it would not be charging Nelly after the woman who made rape allegations against him declined to cooperate with the investigation, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Now the rapper, born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., plans to take legal action against her in an effort to clear his name, according to a statement from his attorney, Scott Rosenblum.

“Nelly has suffered very real damage to his reputation," a statement obtained by Refinery29 read. "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," the statement continued, claiming that "credible evidence did show this accuser to be deceptive.”

On October 7, the “Hot in Herre” rapper was arrested on charges of second-degree rape after a 21-year-old college student claimed that he assaulted her on his tour bus following a concert in Auburn, Washington. She subsequently distanced herself from the investigation, however.

In a statement obtained by The Blast, a representative for the woman explained that she couldn't "handle” the torment and pressures that tend to come along when one accuses a high-profile celebrity of rape. The statement emphasized that although the accuser had decided to halt further investigation into the case, she continued to stand by her original accusations.

Throughout the investigation Nelly has maintained his innocence. While exact details surrounding Nelly’s next course of action are unclear, he assured fans in October that he would “pursue every legal option to address this defaming claim.”