Nelly Pays Out to Snapper  4/24/06

Rap star Nelly has escaped a messy court appearance after agreeing to an out of court settlement with a photographer who accused the star's bodyguard of assault last April (05).

The Hot in Herre hit maker will pay out a massive $20,000 to freelance photographer Jerry Livingstone, 39, who was taking pictures backstage at the Bridgeport, Connecticut, venue the Arena when the alleged incident occurred.

Livingstone, a snapper for the Chocolate City News, claims the rapper's bodyguard Brian Jones escorted him to the edge of the stage and "violently hit"

him, causing serious injuries.

While the case has been settled, Livingstone is still filing lawsuits against the city of Bridgeport and the Arena, according to AllHipHop.