BREAKING NEWS: MC Hammer's Cousin & Hammertime Costar "Bigg Marv" Is Arrested On Rape Charge

On his new A&E series Hammertime, MC Hammer often gets a good laugh at the expense of his favorite cousin, Bigg Marv.  Nobody's laughing today though.  Marv - full name Marvin Turrell Grant - has been arrested by the Livermore (CA) police on rape charges.

It all began with a flirtation on Twitter, the cops say.  A woman who met Marv through his Twitter account agreed to meet him at a hotel in Livermore, about 20 miles from where Grant lives.  After dinner at a nearby restaurant, they returned to her hotel where she says he sexually assaulted her.  The unidentified woman reported the attack to the cops the next morning.  They twice contacted Marv on his cell phone and got him to agree to turn himself in - but both times he was a no show. 

A warrant was issued and the cops tracked Marv down near his cousin Hammer's home.  Police spokesman Lt. Matt Sarsfield said officers believed Marv was preparing to leave the country when he was taken into custody.

That hasn't stopped Hammer, whose real name is Stanley Burrell, from standing by his cousin.  He Twittered:  "Marv has been picked up.  We're standing by him.  Welcome to Fame Cousin Marv.  We're praying for you."

On A&E's Hammertime website, several members of Hammer's family, including the star of the show, joke about Marv's penchant for lying. It's earned him the nickname Lyin' Marv.