Published on: April 29, 2026, 08:06h.

Updated on: April 29, 2026, 08:06h.

• Missouri prosecutors have dropped a misdemeanor assault charge against Nelly in April 2026, stemming from a confrontation with a casino security guard last year.
• The artist accepted a $750 fine for a littering charge to settle the case, which arose from a dispute over his access to a restricted area of the casino.
• This incident marks another instance of Nelly encountering issues related to casinos.

The musician Nelly is no longer facing a misdemeanor assault charge resulting from a July 2025 incident with a security guard at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri. On April 29, 2026, prosecutors announced the decision to dismiss the charge as part of a plea deal in which Nelly agreed to pay a fine of $750 for littering outside the casino.

As reported by TMZ, Nelly—whose full name is Cornell Haynes Jr.—was accused of assaulting a guard who denied him entry into a restricted section of the casino without a player’s card. The incident escalated when Nelly allegedly pushed the guard in the chest before walking past him. Although the guard sustained no injuries, he chose to file charges, which led to the formal assault indictment in September 2025.

The rapper’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, consistently refuted the allegations, stating that the guard had intruded into Nelly’s personal space. According to Rosenblum, any contact was merely a gesture to guide the guard aside as Nelly continued on his way. It was also claimed by Nelly’s team that casino management later apologized for the misunderstanding and confirmed his standing as a welcome guest at the establishment.

Video footage reviewed by the court depicted the guard standing close to Nelly, but the lack of audio rendered it challenging for the prosecution to ascertain whether the interaction constituted legal assault.

Repeated Incidents

This marks the second casino-related incident for Nelly in his hometown of St. Louis.

In August 2024, he was detained at the Hollywood Casino & Hotel after hitting a $50,000 jackpot. During a mandatory background check linked to his winnings, authorities discovered an outstanding warrant from a 2018 traffic citation.

A subsequent search allegedly revealed four ecstasy pills. Nelly was arrested on drug possession charges, but those allegations were later dropped by the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office in November 2024, concluding that the search had been unwarranted.