RAPPER NELLY BUSTED AFTER PERFORMANCE FOR REPORTED RAPE ON HIS BUS
Bad news for the NBA team’s Charlotte Hornets fans. One of the team’s minority owners is the rapper Nelly, who was arrested last week in Seattle after he was charged with rape. Nelly’s real name is Cornell Haynes, Jr., and was performing at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington, billed with country music’s Florida Georgia Line. At about 3:45 a.m. local time a woman called the police to report that she had been sexually assaulted on Nelly’s tour bus, according to Auburn police.
NELLY CLAIMS INNOCENCE, LAWYER SAYS ALLEGED VICTIM GREEDY AND VINDICTIVE
After his arrest, Haynes was booked on suspicion of second-degree rape. He was released later the same day. The Associated Press reported that Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, that the accusation was false and motivated by “greed and vindictiveness.” Rosenblum also wrote in an email, “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.”
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HORNETS HAVE NO COMMENT ON CHARGE OR ARREST OF MINORITY OWNER
The Hornets declined comment on Nelly being charged with rape.
Nelly, 42, was part of the original ownership group formed by founder Bob Johnson in 2004, when this expansion team was called the Charlotte Bobcats. In the spring of 2010, Johnson sold controlling interest to Michael Jordan.
NBA POINTS OUT NELLY HAS NO ACTIVE ROLE IN HORNETS ORGANIZATION, STILL CHARGED WITH RAPE
An NBA source described Nelly’s percentage of the Hornets as very small, adding he does not take an active role in the Hornets’ operation. The Hornets’ media guide for the 2015-16 season listed Les King, an executive of Nelly, Inc., as the rapper’s representative in the ownership group.
Nelly, like all team owners regardless of the size of their investment, would have had to be vetted and approved by the NBA office in New York.
A three-time Grammy winner, including for the song “Hot in Herre,” which won the best male rap solo performance award in 2002. Nelly is also known for the hits “My Place” and “Over and Over.” He appeared in the 2005 film “The Longest Yard.”
The following year he shared a Grammy for the song “Shake Ya Tailfeather” with Murphy Lee and Sean Combs.
