Nelly is "confident" he will clear his name after being accused of rape.
The 42-year-old rapper – whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr – was "beyond shocked" to be arrested on Saturday (07.10.17) morning after a woman claimed he had sexually assaulted her on his tour bus after a gig at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn, Washington, on Friday (06.10.17) and after being released without charge, he has apologised to his family and friends for the "embarrassment" of the "false and defaming" allegations.
He tweeted: "Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent.
"I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation.
"I do want to apologize to my loved ones for the embarrassment and for putting myself in a situation where I could be victimized by this false and defaming allegation (sic)"
And the ‘Hot in Herre’ hitmaker suggested he will be taking legal action against his accuser.
He added: "I also want to thank my fans for their unwavering support. They know me.
"I assure you I will be vindicated. And I assure you, I will pursue every legal option to address this defaming claim. Thank you.
"In other words y’all know damm well I ain’t do no dumm S^*t like this..!! Love ..!!!! (sic)"
Nelly was booked on second-degree rape charges after a woman reported the alleged incident at 3.48am on Saturday, but the ‘Dilemma’ hitmaker’s lawyer insists her claims are "completely fabricated".
The lawyer said in a statement: "Nelly is the victim of a completely fabricated allegation.
"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."
Nelly was released without charge but pulled out of his gig with Florida Georgia Line on Saturday evening in Washington.
Nelly maintains innocence over rape accusation
