ST. LOUIS _ A federal lawsuit filed here Wednesday accuses the rapper Nelly of forcing a woman's hand and mouth onto his genitals after a concert in England in December.
Nelly, born Cornell Hayes Jr., denied the suit's claims in a statement and through his lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, on Thursday. Rosenblum said that a Nelly lawyer in England has arranged an interview between Nelly and police there.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in St. Louis by a woman identified only as "Jane Doe," says that after a Dec. 5, 2017, concert in Essex, England, Doe was one of the fans who paid to have their picture taken with Nelly. Nelly hugged her close and whispered that she should stay behind so they could talk, the suit says. It was her "birthday outing," and she thought her friends had arranged something special.
Nelly led her from a dressing room to a separate room, where he masturbated in front of her and tried to kiss her, the suit claims.
She repeatedly declined, and Nelly forcibly placed her hand on his penis and then forced her mouth onto his penis, the suit says. She was able to scramble away and left, the suit claims.
In a statement released through Rosenblum, Nelly denied the allegations, calling them baseless. "The truth will come out, and I will be vindicated. These types of false allegations undermine real claims of sexual abuse/harassment by real victims," the statement reads, in part. "I do NOT plan on walking away quietly. I have to speak up for my family and for the real victims strong enough to come forward and face people that have actually assaulted them," it continues.
Rosenblum, reached by phone, said, "We plan on responding and mounting a vigorous defense, including exploring counterclaims."
Jane Doe's lawyer, Karen Koehler of Seattle, told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Jane Doe made a police report in England and that the investigation is ongoing.
Koehler said her client has three children and a long-term partner.
The encounter with Nelly "was not a good experience and it has not been acknowledged and addressed by Mr. Hayes and his lawyers. And for that reason, that's why we went to court, so it could be addressed."
The suit also names Nelly's girlfriend, Shantel Jackson. It says that Jackson defamed Doe in a Jan. 26 Tweet that called her a liar.
The suit alleges the Doe attack was part of a pattern of behavior by the singer. It seeks unspecified damages for the emotional trauma, PTSD, medical treatments and other costs to Doe.
Koehler also represented a woman who sued Nelly in December 2017 claiming he had raped her on a tour bus outside Seattle. The suit, and Nelly's countersuit, were dropped in September. Rosenblum said that no money changed hands; Koehler disputed that.
