R. Kelly: Celebrity Convict #4
Crimes: Racketeering, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Bribery, Coercion and Sex Trafficking
Who is R. Kelly?
R. Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly on January 8, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, is a Grammy-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his gospel-infused vocals and highly sexualized lyrics, Kelly was often hailed as the "King of R&B." He achieved massive success in the 1990s, with more Top 40 hits than any other male solo artist of the decade. His hit song "I Believe I Can Fly" earned him three Grammy Awards.
Despite his musical success, Kelly's personal life has been marred by numerous controversies. He was accused of sexual misconduct throughout his career, including facing child pornography charges, though some charges were dropped. In 2019, he was arrested multiple times on charges ranging from aggravated criminal sexual abuse to sex trafficking.
Raised in a Chicago housing project by his single mother, Kelly showed an early interest in music, singing in his church choir. He attended Kenwood Academy, where his music teacher, Lena McLin, encouraged him to pursue a career in music. "She took me under her wing in high school. She told me I would be a big star," Kelly recalled. His breakthrough came in 1990 with a recording contract from Jive Records, leading to the success of his album Born into the 90's.
Criminal Charges
In 2002, R. Kelly’s album The Best of Both Worlds, a collaboration with Jay-Z, was overshadowed by a scandal involving child pornography. A video, reportedly showing Kelly with an underage girl, was given to the police by a journalist, leading to criminal charges. Kelly maintained his innocence, claiming the footage was not of him.
In June 2002, Kelly was charged with 21 counts of child pornography in Illinois. He was also charged in Florida in 2003, but those charges were dropped. Despite the allegations, Kelly’s career continued to flourish. His 2004 album Happy People/U Saved Me sold over 2 million copies, and his Trapped in the Closet series, which debuted in 2005, became iconic.
In 2008, Kelly’s trial began. Key witnesses, including the young woman in the video, refused to testify, and after weeks of hearings, Kelly was found not guilty on all 14 counts. However, the scandal lingered throughout his career.
Further Sexual Abuse Accusations
In 2018, R. Kelly’s personal affairs landed him back in the spotlight after the release of the BBC documentary R. Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes. The documentary featured a former girlfriend who claimed Kelly “groomed” her to have sex with other women, one of whom was reportedly as young as 14.
In April 2018, a new accusation surfaced when a woman came forward, accusing Kelly of infecting her with an STD during an eight-month relationship that began in June 2017, when she was 19. Her lawyer stated Kelly attempted to involve her in his group of sex partners. The woman had already filed a complaint with Dallas Police and was preparing a federal civil suit.
Later that month, the #TimesUp movement called for action, publishing an open letter demanding investigations into the abuse allegations against Kelly. The letter urged companies like RCA, Spotify, and Apple to sever ties with the singer.
In May 2018, Spotify removed Kelly from all playlists, citing its new policy against hate content. Amidst growing pressure, Kelly responded by releasing a 19-minute song, "I Admit," on July 23, 2018, addressing his personal struggles and defending himself against the ongoing allegations.
Documentaries and Arrest
In January 2019, Lifetime aired the explosive six-part documentary Surviving R. Kelly, shedding light on the long-standing sexual abuse allegations against the R&B singer. Through interviews with survivors and associates, the documentary exposed Kelly's alleged abusive behaviour over the years. In the wake of its release, RCA dropped Kelly from its label, and in February, lawyer Michael Avenatti revealed that he had provided authorities with a videotape allegedly showing Kelly engaged in sexual acts with an underage girl.
On February 22, Kelly was formally charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois. He turned himself in to the police and was released on bail three days later.
Kelly’s legal troubles intensified when he appeared for an emotionally charged interview with Gayle King on March 5, denying the allegations and shouting, “I’m fighting for my f****** life!” He also dismissed claims of holding women against their will, stating the women were "handed over" by their parents.
In July 2019, Kelly was arrested again, this time facing federal charges including sex trafficking and child pornography production. The controversy continued with the release of Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning in January 2020, and in September 2021, Kelly was convicted on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation of a child.
Conviction and Prison
R. Kelly, the once-celebrated R&B artist, has been embroiled in a complex legal battle spanning over two decades. Accusations of sexual abuse began in 1991, continuing through to 2018, with multiple investigations and lawsuits. In 1996, Tiffany Hawkins, then 15, accused Kelly of sexual relations when he was 24. This marked the first of many legal challenges, which escalated after a 2002 child pornography case that culminated in a highly publicized trial and Kelly’s 2008 acquittal on all charges.
Despite the legal setbacks, the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly reignited public and legal scrutiny, prompting RCA Records to sever ties with the artist. This documentary, along with other testimonies, led to renewed investigations and criminal trials beginning in 2019.
In 2021, Kelly was convicted of sex trafficking and violations of the Mann Act. A year later, he faced another conviction for producing child pornography. As of 2023, Kelly is serving a 31-year sentence at FCI Butner Medium I. However, his legal team, led by Jennifer Bonjean, is now pursuing a review of his child pornography case by the U.S. Supreme Court, potentially reducing his sentence by up to 20 years.
R. Kelly is held at the Federal Correctional Complex, Butner is a United States federal prison complex for men near Butner, North Carolina.
Supreme Court Denies R. Kelly’s Appeal of Federal Sex Crimes Conviction
In 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from R. Kelly regarding his federal sex crimes convictions. At the time, Kelly was serving a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking, following a 2021 conviction in New York. Additionally, he had been sentenced to 20 years in 2023 for child pornography charges in Chicago.
Kelly had argued in his appeal that he was wrongly prosecuted under a federal law passed in 2003, which extended the statute of limitations indefinitely for sex crimes involving minors. Despite this claim, federal prosecutors chose not to respond to his appeal, and the Supreme Court ultimately decided not to review the case.
This decision left Kelly’s convictions intact, as he continued to serve his prison sentences for his crimes.
Prison Attack
In 2020 whilst incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Kelly was attacked by Jeremiah Farmer, a member of the Latin Kings gang, who was later sentenced to life in prison for his role in a drug racketeering operation that included multiple murders. However, it was his brutal assault on R&B singer R. Kelly in federal custody that made headlines across the country.
In a September legal filing, Farmer admitted to attacking Kelly while both were incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago in August 2020. Farmer claimed the assault was a desperate attempt to bring attention to alleged corruption in his case. “Farmer, with nowhere else to turn for legal help, was forced to assault hip-hop R&B singer Robert Kelly in hopes of getting spotlight attention and world news notice to shed the light on the government corruption,” Farmer wrote in his motion.
Jeremiah Farmer attacked R. Kelly in federal jail in Chicago
The attack, which took place in Kelly’s jail cell, saw Farmer allegedly punching Kelly in the head and torso. A Bureau of Prisons employee intervened, using pepper spray to stop the assault. Following the incident, Kelly was moved to solitary confinement, while Farmer was transferred to another federal facility.
Farmer's violent attack on Kelly, who was awaiting trial on sex crime charges, drew significant media attention. Despite Kelly’s attorneys seeking to question Farmer about the assault, a judge recently ruled against granting Kelly bail, citing the assault as insufficient reason to release him from custody.
Though Farmer’s actions in attacking Kelly were not directly related to his murder convictions, they have sparked ongoing legal debate as Kelly’s numerous trials continue to be delayed amid the ongoing pandemic.
Surviving R. Kelly
Six women featured in the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries are still attempting to recover over $9 million in a civil judgment against the disgraced singer. In 2023, a New York judge ruled that Kelly, along with his former manager Donnell Russell and Universal Music, were liable for a fake mass shooting threat that led to the cancellation of the 2018 live premiere of the documentary. The false threat caused trauma to the women, who were forced to evacuate during the premiere, exacerbating their past abuse.
Kelly and his co-defendants were ordered to pay more than $10 million, but as of Friday's court filing, the debt remains mostly unpaid. The women are still owed over $9.9 million, plus daily interest. To date, only a small portion of the judgment—around $200,000—has been recovered from Universal Music.
