Nelly Should Not Perform at Florida Georgia Line Fest Amid Sexual Allegations
Florida Georgia Line recently announced plans to host the inaugural FGL Fest this September in Indianapolis, coinciding with NASCAR’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, The Brickyard 400. For the last few years, Florida Georgia Line’s record label Big Machine has partnered with the event in some capacity, including naming the entire race after Brantley Gilbert in 2017.
FGL Fest includes much of what you would expect from a one-day mainstream country festival, with Cole Swindell, Raelynn, Jillian Jacqueline, Stephanie Quayle, and wunderkind Mason Ramsey also scheduled to perform. What’s alarming is that along with Florida Georgia Line and Cole Swindell, the other headliner for the event will be hip-hop artist Nelly.
Florida Georgia Line has collaborated with Nelly multiple times in the past, and the duo has also toured with Nelly recently. The worry over blurring genre lines by having FGL and Nelly share a stage has come and gone. The problem with the booking is that the last time Nelly was on tour with Florida Georgia Line, a woman accused him of rape in a matter that is still unresolved. Subsequently, two more women have come forward claiming sexual assault against the rapper, including a claim that happened after the first high profile incident on the Florida Georgia Line tour late last year.
Nelly was originally arrested October 7th, 2017 in Auburn, Washington after he was accused of sexual assault by a local woman. Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was arrested on his tour bus in a Wal-Mart parking lot where the alleged rape occurred. Auburn is a suburb of Seattle where the rapper performed at the White River Amphitheatre with Florida Georgia Line as part of their 2017 “Smooth Tour.”
According to Steve Stocker of the Auburn police, the woman called 911 and reported the rape at 3:48 a.m. early Saturday. After an investigation, police decided to charge Nelly on 2nd degree rape charges. Later those charges were dropped by local authorities after the alleged victim—22-year-old Monique Green—said she was being harassed and smeared in the media after leaks from the local police department ended up on TMZ. She said she couldn’t trust the local police to fairly prosecute her case. Multiple stories involving Nelly’s attorney Scott Rosenblum also appeared on TMZ accusing Monique Green of being a gold digger and a liar.
Despite dropping the criminal case, a civil case ensued against Nelly that is still ongoing. Since then two more accusations have emerged. One is from a woman who says that Nelly assaulted her at an afterparty following a concert at Koko, which is a club in London. The victim alleges Nelly groped her, despite repeatedly staving off his unwelcomed advances in June of 2016.
The other new complaint has resulted in another sexual assault investigation against Nelly by police in Essex, England. A woman claims that after a show at Cliffs Pavilion in Essex on December 5th, 2017, she approached Nelly to take a picture with him. Nelly allegedly grabbed the woman by the arm and took her to his dressing room where he began to masturbate in front of her and tried take her top off and force her to perform oral sex on him. As she ran away, the accuser claims Nelly yelled at her and called her a “cunt.”
As individuals across the entertainment and professional world have been fired, demoted, publicly shamed, ridiculed, and many have seen their entire careers destroyed due to sexual misconduct allegations nowhere near the severity of those against Nelly, the rapper continues to be welcomed at mainstream country music functions unabated. He was able to finish his stint on Florida Georgia Line’s “Smooth Tour” in late 2017, even while the rape allegations were legally pending. Now even more accusations have surfaced, yet Florida Georgia Line and Live Nation have no problem booking Nelly to perform at FGL Fest, even though he’s been accused of three separate sexual assaults directly tied to live performances, including two in the last nine months.
Everyone has a right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. But as the accusations of sexual assault against Nelly continue to mount—including after the first very public accusation had been made—it seems very prudent that Nelly not be invited to play on country music festivals and tours promoted by big music companies and underwritten by corporate sponsors, at least until the accusations and criminal investigations are resolved.
Dan
July 9, 2018 @ 7:47 am
Separate of the allegations there is so much going wrong here.
Ree
July 9, 2018 @ 11:01 am
Like what, Dan?
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 7:58 am
I also remain stupefied why the rest of country music media continues to refuse to cover this story, and offer the very fair concern of why Nelly continues to be booked at country functions. Keith Hill says something on Twitter, and it launches a dozen think pieces. Mention that a country music artist is a mother (because the artist mentions it themselves in their music), and get hounded down as a misogynist. Yet here is an artist with multiple active and open legal proceedings tied to multiple sexual assaults, and they’re sitting on their hands.
MH
July 9, 2018 @ 8:37 am
I think we all know the answer here, Trig.
Ree
July 9, 2018 @ 11:04 am
Cause the “metoo” movement is BS! Once convicted, IF convicted then you can biatch about him going on tour Till then Step OFF!!
HayesCarll2323
July 9, 2018 @ 12:21 pm
Allegations are allegations. I could say anybody touched me and ruin their lives. Scary time we are living. I am also not stupid to the fact that rape actually exists.
Jacob W
July 9, 2018 @ 4:47 pm
No woman says no to Nelly… c’mon…
DimM
July 9, 2018 @ 8:48 am
I wonder what kind of woman wants to take a photo with him after these incidents.
Chris
July 9, 2018 @ 11:09 am
Probably the same kind of woman who is still supporting Chris Brown and R. Kelly.
Mike Honcho
July 9, 2018 @ 9:06 am
As much as I think this tour should be bombed into the fires of hell, innocent until proven guilty is not a concept that disappears because of other accusations. It seems a lot of policy is being made based on emotions these days. It’s the same type of climate that gave us the witch hunts that we supposedly evolved past.
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 9:40 am
Nobody’s saying this guy should be imprisoned. But when you’re accused of rape after a live performance, then accused of sexual assault two months later at a live performance, and then a third accusation emerges, it seems like a very reasonable and prudent move to not book that individual again until the matters are resolved. Seeing how Nelly really has no business playing a “country” festival anyway should be extra reasoning.
Florida Bryan Brown
July 9, 2018 @ 9:55 am
And here we are wasting time on this garbage that could have been spent on writing a review for a newer and upcoming musician/band that actually has talent.
MH
July 9, 2018 @ 10:39 am
I see 4-5 of those article on the front page alone.
Maybe you should try harder.
Hannah Smith
July 9, 2018 @ 10:43 am
I agree. Although, there is no denying an alarming degree of accused musicians, executives and others in the industry. Contrary to the details posted above though, fact remains Nelly was not charged ever in any instance of these accusations. It’s best to leave the judgement to the judicial system to determine guilt or innocence and reserve our conclusions to be based on the aforementioned. Both deserve their right to due process, accuser and accused.
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Not true. Nelly was charged with 2nd Degree rape. The only reason the charges were dropped is because the victim became uncooperative after the local police department got caught leaking information to TMZ, and she decided going in a civil direction would be the only fair way to move forward. Also, the issue in England is also being dealt with as a ongoing criminal investigation, and charges could be forthcoming.
Nobody is saying that Nelly should go to prison for crimes he hasn’t been proven to commit. When the first rape charge came down, I said at that time Nelly should be removed from the tour to be prudent. Lo and behold, two months later, another woman accused him of rape after a show. Either Nelly is really unlucky, or a clear pattern of behavior has emerged. How many times has Florida Georgia Line been accused of rape? Zero. Three accusations means something is going on, and we should determine what it is before booking him on further shows.
Luckyoldsun
July 9, 2018 @ 4:12 pm
So the accuser became uncooperative and the charges were dropped. So he’s not charged. BTW, calling her a victim is implicitly saying he’s guilty. She’s an accuser, and an alleged victim.
“Going in a civil direction would be the only fair way to move forward.”
So she wants to get money. That’s fine. Anybody has the right to sue anybody in this country.
Hannah Smith
July 9, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
I, respectfully, disagree. He was never charged. He was arrested on suspicion and released. The accuser declined to cooperate with the police investigating due to her unfortunate experience with the police department. Prosecuters made a public statement declining to press charges or continue to investigate due to lack of evidence. England is being investigated, meaning there are also no charges. I would hope they would investigate, but we cannot assume a stance without a proper investigation on both ends.
The problem with situations such as these, are that the public doesn’t look at the researchable facts, which I too have not done in the past so I’m not pointing any fingers. This is why its fair to allow due process for both the accuser and accused, to get down to the facts and not our opinions of it.
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
Hannah,
Nelly was arrested and charged with 2nd degree rape on October 7th, 2017. He was arrested at 3:45 a.m., and then later appeared in court at 7:00 a.m. where he was formally charged with 2nd Degree rape by a judge who reviewed the preliminary evidence, and determined it was sufficient enough for probable cause.
Nelly was arrested. Nelly was charged with 2nd degree rape. The charges were later dropped because the victim was uncooperative. We also know information was leaked from the Auburn Police Department to TMZ.
A lot of folks are giving a knee-jerk reaction to this story based on their preconceived notions of the #metoo movement, which really has nothing to do with this.
I’m not saying Nelly is guilty. But two separate sexual assault allegations in two months is a hell of a coincidence. Let him clear his name, then put him on stage in front of 60,000 fans as an idol.
Hannah Smith
July 9, 2018 @ 10:31 pm
Public court documentation and statements released directly from the police/prosecutors state that he was never charged, you’re the first and so far only person to say something different.
To your point, you’re still entitiled to your feelings about how you feel concerts should be handled in these cases. Bowing out of this conversation now, but be well and thank you for a discussion with no obscene words and verbiage.
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 10:49 pm
Bullshit.
I just Googled “Nelly Arrested Washington,” and this was the very first article to come up:
https://www.riverfronttimes.com/musicblog/2017/10/07/breaking-nelly-arrested-for-rape-in-washington-state
“Nelly was booked on second degree rape charges around 7 a.m.”
There are a dozen to two dozen stories where that came from. Not going to post them all here because you’ll probably still deny their existence.
Music Jedi
July 9, 2018 @ 10:52 am
“Man can not live on bread alone, he must have peanut butter.”
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Ignorant comment. Preventing and discouraging RAPE is more important than reviewing any given album, and squarely in the realm of what Saving Country Music is all about. Nobody posts more album reviews and artist features for important independent artists. Zoom out, and find something good to listen to.
Jacob W
July 10, 2018 @ 5:13 am
If there was enough evidence to charge and subsequently indict Nelly, the D.A. would have done so without the cooperation of the accuser. Unless it became apparent that she outright lied, the d.a. would be able to use her previous statements and any evidence gathered regardless of her testimony.
If Nelly were to be acquitted, there would be no justifiable grounds for a civil case. This does not mean the accuser cannot file a civil claim, but with the high profile it would difficult for her to win. The accuser has been advised by an attorney to take this path in order to get paid.
Another, slightly more remote possibility, is that Nelly’s lawyer negotiated with her to keep this a civil matter.
Not that their are not legitimate claims out there, but this is like paying ransom to kidnappers. It encourages more of the same. It may not be this cut and dry but we can all use some common sense regarding female fans of sex symbols.
Big Cat
July 9, 2018 @ 11:36 am
Big yawn…. this common thread reply is up there with the recording / production issues for me. The man owns a website and can post whatever the hell he chooses to. Not to mention it’s what he has been doing for years and everyone keeps coming back.
Balance grasshopper. We all need balance.
Dirt Road Derek
July 9, 2018 @ 10:12 am
The innocent till proven guilty argument is valid and difficult to argue, but my gut reaction would be to kick him off the tour and festival, especially after multiple accusations. This kind of behavior should be unacceptable and condemned in every industry.
Donna
July 9, 2018 @ 10:44 am
I can believe the head honchos on Music Row are looking the other way as all they care about is the duckets rolling in! The powers that be are condoning victimization of women! Come on country music this is not how it’s suppose to be! FGL should drop Nelly from their shows asap!
Carolyn Byrd
July 9, 2018 @ 10:56 am
The same reason so many country music fans voted for an accused assaulter in trump. They don’t care if they like the guy.
scott
July 9, 2018 @ 11:52 am
Might be the most pathetic comment I’ve seen here on SCM. You will get a participation ribbon, tho, so all is not lost.
Jeri lynn Walker
July 9, 2018 @ 10:18 pm
Exactly truth
CountryKnight
July 10, 2018 @ 7:09 am
Accused doesn’t equal guilty. Nice try, though. You did get the beta posters to like your post.
A.K.A. City
July 9, 2018 @ 11:18 am
The principle of innocent until proven guilty is a strong one, but when one is in the public eye, it is more complicated. You have an image and reputation, and if your reputation is damaged, your demand diminishes. Festival organizers should take the lead and remove him from the bill, but they won’t. Unfortunately, the only way that he will be removed is if there is a public outcry.
As a note, there is precedent for removal or suspension of someone from their job if they are accused of a crime. If I were to be charged with a crime, my employer has the right to put me on administrative leave or even terminate me if it tarnishes the company’s reputation.
Trigger
July 9, 2018 @ 11:58 am
When the first rape accusation happened last year and I made the same call to remove Nelly from the Florida Georgia Line tour, I got hounded down for this whole “innocent until proven guilty” deal. I agree there are a lot of accusations out there, and sometimes they can be spurious. But I think it is very fair to be cautious in such matters. In the case of Nelly, the caution appeared to be wise. In fact after someone potentially gets away with one crime, it often encourages them to keep up with the behavior because they learn there is no consequence.
If Nelly is exonerated, then he can do whatever the hell he wants. He wants to play club shows on his own tour, that’s fine, and people can make their own decisions on the matter. But he shouldn’t be playing country functions backed by LiveNation and big corporate sponsors. I’m sorry.
A.K.A. City
July 10, 2018 @ 7:25 am
Trigger, I agree. I know that some on this board aren’t very friendly to #metoo movement, but this is just common sense and decency. If I were a big promoter, I would not want to be associated with someone with these accusations looming. If FGL wanted to appeal to a more “urban” audience, they could have booked Jason DeRulo, whom they’ve collaborated with before and has at least some talent.
CountryKnight
July 9, 2018 @ 11:32 am
It is just S-I-M-P-L-E.
laTeasha Evans
July 9, 2018 @ 2:20 pm
If Trump can get away with grab woman by the pussy why can’t Nelly get away with it anyways none should get away with rape if they really did it
Kevin Davis
July 9, 2018 @ 2:35 pm
Stephanie Quayle and perhaps Mason will be the only acts worth seeing. “Drinking with Dolly” is a fine song. I’ve seen her in concert twice. She has potential.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUJEkd0MqyU
GrantH
July 9, 2018 @ 4:36 pm
Why is he being booked at country music festivals anyway? It appears the country music industry cares more about Nelly than the rap/hip-hop industry does, haha.
Ulysses McCaskill
July 9, 2018 @ 5:42 pm
“Nelly should not perform at Florida Georgia Line Fest”
I agree. Hell, Florida Georgia Line shouldn’t perform at Florida Georgia Line Fest.
Come to think of it, there shouldn’t even BE a Florida Georgia Line Fest.
Sam Cody
July 9, 2018 @ 7:23 pm
The one on the left is obviously Nelly. Who are the other two?
Sherri Rosen
July 9, 2018 @ 7:38 pm
I still can’t understand how Cruise was so popular. I think it’s stupid and belonged on MTV. Never liked FGL and like 95% of what’s out there, not country. Their songs sound alike.
Jacob W
July 10, 2018 @ 5:22 am
The more I think about it, these are cases for the courts, not the court of public opinion. The public has no stake in this and can only make the situation worse for all parties involved. This should not be reported on until it is resolved; there is an ethical quandary involved in reporting these stories when few actual facts are available.
This on the same thread as pre-trial supervision. Being forced to submit to drug tests, alcohol swabs, probation fines, and check- ins before one has actually been convicted of a crime.
Pierre Brunelle
July 10, 2018 @ 5:40 am
They keep booking Nelly because they want to show that “country music” is open to anyone (you can rap and claim it’s country!).
it’s pretty sad to be honest. Those guys have nothing to do with country music.
Toni
July 10, 2018 @ 2:08 pm
Innocent until proven guilty. Our country has forgotten that I think.