Photo Credit:Nelly’s Instagram
Nelly, also known as Cornell Haynes Jr., was arrested in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, for possession of the illegal substance sometimes known as MDMA, or “E.” According to the police report obtained by TMZ, he was arrested at 4:45 A.M. on August 7, 2024 for being in possession of 4 MDMA pills.
He was also hit with a charge for not having insurance. Allegedly, he was pulled over at a casino in Maryland Heights, a suburb of St. Louis, at that early hour. It’s unclear if he currently lives in Maryland Heights. He recently sold a mansion in Wildwood, another suburb of St. Louis, but it was a home that he had bought for his sister who tragically passed away from leukemia- it was not a house that he lived in.
He was released from police custody shortly after he was taken in. His mugshot shows him appearing to look tired, with bloodshot eyes, and wearing a black hoodie.Nelly’s arrest comes just weeks before his wife, Ashanti is due to give birth. However, there are also rumors that she has already secretly given birth.
Nelly and Ashanti Reunited
Nelly and Ashanti dated on and off from 2003 until 2013, and then called it quits for almost 10 years until they reunited unexpectedly at the Under the Mistletoe Concert in December of 2022. The two had a whirlwind romance, and just a year later, in December of 2023, Nelly was making jokes about Ashanti being pregnant.
And while many believed that they weren’t just jokes, and that Ashanti actually was pregnant, she later confirmed that she didn’t know she was pregnant yet while he was making those jokes. She claims to have learned about the pregnancy a few weeks later. Around the time that they learned about her pregnancy, Nelly and Ashanti secretly got married, and kept that secret until June of 2024.
Based on the timeline that she gave everyone, that means that Ashanti is due to give birth any day now. And while this should be a joyous time for her- especially because this is her first child- it has now taken a devastating turn as she deals with the blow of her husband’s completely unexpected arrest. That being said, there are rumors that Ashanti already gave birth after both she and Nelly went silent on social media for multiple weeks.
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The Morning Of the Arrest
The morning of Nelly’s arrest, Ashanti finally shared photos on her Instagram, seemingly trying to cover up both Nelly’s arrest and her social media silence. The photos were from her mom’s birthday party, and Ashanti, who was very clearly still pregnant in the photos, dated them as being taken on July 13, 2024.
Fans assumed that Nelly had gotten his head on straight once and for all when it came to his relationship with Ashanti. Ashanti had given Nelly chance after chance to treat her right, and fans rejoiced as it seemed like that was finally happening and they put their relationship on the fast track. They got married and pregnant within a year of reconciling, and things seemed to be on the up and up for the saga of their relationship.
But now, things are coming crashing down for the couple as Nelly shocked the world- and probably Ashanti- with his arrest. It seemed as though Nelly’s run-ins with the law were behind him.
Nelly’s Past
Nelly has been arrested multiple times previously, but not necessarily for the charges he’s currently facing.In 2017, he was arrested outside of Seattle, Washington after a woman accused him of SAing her on a tour bus. At the time, Nelly’s attorney spoke out, saying:
“Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation. I am confident once this scurrilous accusation is thoroughly investigated, there will be no charges.”
Charges Dropped
The charges were later dropped, because although the police department believed that there was probable cause for the SA, the victim allegedly wouldn’t cooperate with police.The alleged victim went on to file a lawsuit against Nelly, both for the SA and for defaming her by claiming that she was lying. Nelly countersued the alleged victim with claims of defamation, because he believed that their encounter was consensual.
They settled privately, with Nelly’s attorney making clear that they exchanged no money over the lawsuit.The victim’s lawyer claimed that that wasn’t the case. However, that wasn’t his first experience with the legal system, either.
In 2015, Nelly was arrested in Tennessee in his tour bus after a routine traffic stop.The tour bus was pulled over because it failed to display a U.S. Department of Transportation and International Fuel Tax Association sticker.However, when the bus was pulled over, something much more dangerous was uncovered.
According to the police report, the officers smelled a pretty specific green substance when they approached the tour bus.This began a search of the tour bus, where five rocks that tested positive for a very dangerous and illegal substance were discovered. They also found a small amount of that specific green substance on the bus, and paraphernalia related to both substances.
Officers claimed that all of the substances were found in plastic bags in the sleeping area of the bus.Lastly, the officers found multiple firearms. No one on the tour bus was arrested aside from Nelly and another man, Brian Jones, who was a convicted felon and in possession of one of the firearms.
Nelly’s attorney made a statement then too, saying that 15-20 people had access to the bus prior to the traffic stop. He also said:”We are extremely confident that when the facts come out, Nelly will not be associated with the contraband that was allegedly discovered.” Later on, the District Attorney confirmed that the five rocks discovered were not that specific illegal substance, so Nelly’s felony charges were dropped.The other charges were simply misdemeanors, however, and were later expunged from his record.
Nelly’s attorney, however, previously admitted to ABC News that one of the substances discovered was MDMA, but he believed that the felony charges would still be dropped.
How Is Ashanti
At the current moment, very few details are known about his current arrest. All that is known is from the police report, which includes the charges, as well as the fact that he was arrested on an outstanding warrant.That being said, neither Nelly, his attorney, or his wife, Ashanti, have spoken out about his arrest yet.
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It’s unclear where Ashanti was at the time of his arrest, but it doesn’t appear as though she was present. You can only imagine how stressful this current situation is for her. But chances are that the real story will come out soon enough- both in court and on the couple’s new reality show that they’re allegedly filming.
