"Hot in Herre" rapper Nelly was arrested on Wednesday morning for a previously issued citation.
Rapper Nelly, also known as Cornell Haynes Jr., was arrested at 4:45 a.m. CT in St. Louis. The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed this event happened at the Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights during a routine identification verification.
During the verification process, it was discovered that Nelly had an active arrest warrant. He was arrested without incident and found in possession of four pills tentatively identified as Ecstasy.
Nelly's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, stated that the arrest was an overreach by an officer who was 'out of line.' He clarified that Nelly was arrested for a warrant involving 'No Proof of Insurance' from 2018 without being notified.
Rosenblum elaborated that instead of simply overseeing a cash transaction, the officer unnecessarily conducted a background check on Nelly after he won significant jackpots at the casino. He criticized the conduct of the officer in parading Nelly in front of casino patrons.
Despite the incident, Nelly had recently completed performances with Janet Jackson on her summer tour and is scheduled to perform at the Walworth County Fair at the end of the month.