Lady Luck appears to be on Nelly‘s side as he escapes yet another legal debacle.
The rapper, born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was on the hook for allegedly assaulting a security guard at a casino in 2025. However, the charge against him has been dismissed.
Nelly is no stranger to legal ordeals, as he previously faced two sexual assault allegations that later went away.
Nelly Escapes Assault Charge From 2025 Incident
According to new legal documents, a hearing was recently held for Nelly’s assault case on Wednesday, April 29. The rapper was facing a criminal case over an alleged incident that occurred on July 14, 2025, at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles.
The documents obtained by TMZ revealed that both parties involved in the case had reached a plea deal. Their agreement saw Nelly escaping the assault charge and facing a misdemeanor littering charge over the trash he threw at the casino.
Additionally, Nelly agreed to pay a $750 fine, and a judge has since signed off on the judgment and sentence. The drama began when the “Hot in Herre” hitmaker allegedly shoved a security guard at the casino over his entry into a certain section of the establishment.
The Rapper Vehemently Denied The Assault Allegations
The Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a call made by the security guard in 2025, alleging that Nelly had forcefully shoved him. The guard explained that he had asked the entertainer for his player’s card before he could be allowed entry into a specific part of the casino.
The alleged incident saw authorities slapping Nelly with a misdemeanor assault charge in September 2025; however, he denied the allegations. Nelly’s rep argued that he was innocent of all wrongdoing, blaming the incident on the security guard.
According to Nelly’s rep, “an overzealous guard blocked his path and invaded his space.” The guard’s alleged actions then forced Nelly to guide him aside “with minimal contact and no harm.” The rep added that the casino’s management “later apologized nd welcomed Nelly back [to the casino].”
Nelly’s UK Sexual Assault Case Was Dropped In 2019
The casino drama isn’t the first time Lady Luck has stood by Nelly’s side, as he escaped a sexual assault case in the UK in April 2019. At the time, PEOPLE reported that the Essex police had ended their investigation into Nelly over the sexual assault allegations brought forward by an anonymous woman.
The lady in question accused Nelly of masturbating in front of her multiple times after his show at Cliffs Pavilion in Southend in December 2017. Nelly vehemently denied the accusations, but he was placed under investigation by the Essex police since January 2019.
The criminal investigation began the same month the woman came forward with her allegations. Nelly eventually escaped the assault case when the anonymous woman refused to testify, forcing UK prosecutors to drop the matter.
The Hip-Hop Star Faced Another Sexual Assault Allegation
Before the anonymous woman dropped her sexual assault allegations against Nelly, an alleged victim named Monique Green had accused the rapper of rape. She claimed he had raped her on his tour bus in Seattle back in October 2017.
Green recalled she was a 22-year-old college student at the time of the alleged assault. Nelly denied the allegations, arguing that his encounter with Green had been consensual. Nonetheless, he was arrested on suspicion of rape.
Similar to the anonymous accuser’s case, prosecutors could not take further action because Green refused to testify and did not file any charges against Nelly. Despite her initial stance, Green later changed her mind and filed a sexual assault and defamation lawsuit against Nelly.
The Same Attorney Represented Nelly’s Two Sexual Assault Accusers
After Green filed her lawsuit, Nelly countersued, and they were locked in a heated battle before settling in September 2018. Their agreement saw the pair dismissing their respective lawsuits against each other.
Nelly later reacted to the news in a statement, pointing out that the same attorney represented the two women who accused him of sexual assault. He was grateful that both cases were dropped and raved about standing with real victims of sexual assault.
Following the dismissal of his most recent assault allegation, Nelly can now look forward to performing at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater with a light heart. He is scheduled to hit the stage on September 19 as part of the ongoing 2026 First United Bank & Trust Concert Series, per Messenger-Inquirer.