Rapper Nelly’s Arrest, Release And Ashanti’s Reaction. The Full Story

Nelly’s wife Ashanti brushed off news of the rapper’s arrest as she celebrated her mother’s birthday on Wednesday, August 7.

The 49 year-old rapper was arrested in the early hours of that morning after police supposedly found four ecstasy pills in his vehicle.

Ashanti, who is heavily pregnant with her first child with Nelly, shared photos from her mother’s birthday party last month rather than mentioning her spouse’s arrest.

The mother-to-be flaunted her growing bump, which were taken on July 14, as she celebrated with her loved ones.

Meanwhile, Scott Rosenblum, Nelly’s attorney, claims that the singer is completely free and that his firm “will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”

Rosenblum is representing Nelly after his arrest in Maryland Heights, an external suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, after police supposedly found bliss pills in his vehicle.

Nelly was also arrested for driving without insurance, as per a report from FOX 2 News. He was released later on Wednesday August 7.

In a statement released by the rapper’s legal counselor, Rosenblum said that Nelly ‘was not accused of drug possession but rather ‘arrested for “No Proof of Insurance” from 2018 on a warrant issued [in] December 2023 that he received no notice’ about.

“Nelly had been ‘targeted by an overzealous, out of line officer,’ the lawyer said.

“The police officer, ‘instead of just supervising the transfer of [Nelly’s] winnings … felt compelled to needlessly run a check for warrants.’

“The rapper knew that claim was false after having won ‘several jackpots for similar or greater amounts, including one just a week prior without incident or a background check,’ Rosenblum said.

Rosenblum implied that the officer treated Nelly differently due to his fame, as ‘under similar circumstances, assuming there was an old warrant without any notice to the individual for no proof of insurance, any other citizen would have been told to address it and allowed to go on their way.’

Nelly And Ashanti Have Secretly Been Married For Years Now?

According to Nelly’s attorney, the rapper has been vetted by the FBI and “frequently asked to supply proof of no warrants” in accordance with “the requirements to travel internationally.”

Earlier this summer, Nelly was reported to have married fellow musical artist Ashanti secretly wed nearly six months earlier.

Citing public records, TMZ reported that the couple got married on December 27, 2023.

The couple is about to become parents for the first time. Ashanti revealed her pregnancy and their engagement in April.