Interesting. Was it like a recap or something along those lines? Did Soledad voice her take on R Kelly?
SURVIVING R KELLY A LIFETIME CHANNEL DOCUMENTARY 3 night event...smh
- Thread starter pookie
- Start date
Interesting. Was it like a recap or something along those lines? Did Soledad voice her take on R Kelly?
Yes, I'm aware of that...the topic was what was perplexing, given all that's currently in the news. I didn't know that Lifetime was going back for another bite at the apple, which makes the question or topic relevant since she's involved.
To keep stoking the fires...nothing more, nothing less.
Gotcha. It's interesting the approach the paparazzi take with celebs. They usually get pissed off when they're hounded by flashing cameras & video right up in their face. But when you approach people right, you'll actually get content if you know what you're going to ask them, or that they'll have a hot take on.
Really it felt like Shaka said, to stoke the fire.
Don't get the purpose of the show. There were no new revelations. She just recapped where we are today. If you haven't been watching the news, just got out of prison yesterday, then this is for you. Lol
R. Kelly Faces New Sexual-Abuse Indictment, With New Allegations of Sexual Abuse of a Minor
By Rebecca Alter
R. Kelly. Photo: Antonio Perez/Getty Images
R. Kelly, in jail and already facing federal charges in New York court and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota, now faces a new indictment, filed on February 13 in Illinois federal court, according to Pitchfork. The indictment supersedes the original from last July, which charged Kelly with child pornography, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice. The new allegations state that Kelly enticed a minor, identified as “Minor 6,” “to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, namely, aggravated criminal sexual abuse,” between 1997 and 2000, beginning when the alleged victim was 14 or 15 years old. The new indictment also appears to remove from the list of alleged victims the 17-year-old victim identified as “Minor 2,” now “Individual D,” who had played a central role in the allegations of pay-offs during Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trial.
In another significant change from the previous indictment, the prosecution now seeks for the first time the forfeiture of all assets of Kelly’s production company, Bass Productions Ltd., as well as those of a company owned by his co-defendant and longtime business manager, Derrel McDavid, according to the Chicago Tribune.
This news comes after Kelly missed a court date in January due to hernia surgery, according to TMZ. Furthermore, as of February, Kelly’s former girlfriend and defender Azriel Clary is now cooperating with federal investigators and speaking out against Kelly, TMZ reports. Clary left Kelly in December of 2019, and allegedly “lied to federal agents several times in the past to cover for Kelly.”
These new developments will most likely push back Kelly’s scheduled trial date of April 27, for federal charges.
By Rebecca Alter
R. Kelly. Photo: Antonio Perez/Getty Images
R. Kelly, in jail and already facing federal charges in New York court and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota, now faces a new indictment, filed on February 13 in Illinois federal court, according to Pitchfork. The indictment supersedes the original from last July, which charged Kelly with child pornography, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice. The new allegations state that Kelly enticed a minor, identified as “Minor 6,” “to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, namely, aggravated criminal sexual abuse,” between 1997 and 2000, beginning when the alleged victim was 14 or 15 years old. The new indictment also appears to remove from the list of alleged victims the 17-year-old victim identified as “Minor 2,” now “Individual D,” who had played a central role in the allegations of pay-offs during Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trial.
In another significant change from the previous indictment, the prosecution now seeks for the first time the forfeiture of all assets of Kelly’s production company, Bass Productions Ltd., as well as those of a company owned by his co-defendant and longtime business manager, Derrel McDavid, according to the Chicago Tribune.
This news comes after Kelly missed a court date in January due to hernia surgery, according to TMZ. Furthermore, as of February, Kelly’s former girlfriend and defender Azriel Clary is now cooperating with federal investigators and speaking out against Kelly, TMZ reports. Clary left Kelly in December of 2019, and allegedly “lied to federal agents several times in the past to cover for Kelly.”
These new developments will most likely push back Kelly’s scheduled trial date of April 27, for federal charges.
R. Kelly Faces New Indictment for Knowingly Exposing Partners to Herpes
By Amanda Gordon
Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
R. Kelly, who is facing several federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing women and underage girls, is now also being prosecuted for knowingly exposing two women to an infectious venereal disease. The updated indictment states that Kelly was aware he had contracted herpes and proceeded to have unprotected sex with a woman and underage girl without informing them of his condition, the New York Times reports. The young woman, who met the R&B artist when she was 19, ended their relationship in 2018 after she learned she had contracted the disease. It is not yet clear whether the underage girl also contracted herpes. Douglas Anton, a lawyer for R. Kelly, maintains that there is “zero evidence” to suggest that Kelly knew he had herpes.
The new allegations, filed on Friday, are part of a nine-count indictment, adding to a case against R. Kelly that was first announced last summer. R. Kelly remains in custody in Chicago, where he faces additional charges in a trial that has since been delayed, as new allegations have surfaced involving the discovery of hidden electronics. He is scheduled to face trial in Brooklyn this July.
By Amanda Gordon
Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
R. Kelly, who is facing several federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing women and underage girls, is now also being prosecuted for knowingly exposing two women to an infectious venereal disease. The updated indictment states that Kelly was aware he had contracted herpes and proceeded to have unprotected sex with a woman and underage girl without informing them of his condition, the New York Times reports. The young woman, who met the R&B artist when she was 19, ended their relationship in 2018 after she learned she had contracted the disease. It is not yet clear whether the underage girl also contracted herpes. Douglas Anton, a lawyer for R. Kelly, maintains that there is “zero evidence” to suggest that Kelly knew he had herpes.
The new allegations, filed on Friday, are part of a nine-count indictment, adding to a case against R. Kelly that was first announced last summer. R. Kelly remains in custody in Chicago, where he faces additional charges in a trial that has since been delayed, as new allegations have surfaced involving the discovery of hidden electronics. He is scheduled to face trial in Brooklyn this July.
Erykah Badu And 'Surviving R. Kelly' Producer Explode Into Twitter Showdown Over These Accusations...
"Apologize? Are you kidding?"
www.bet.com
Man fuck R Kelly
not first nor last time Dream has been called out as a liar
Erykah Badu And 'Surviving R. Kelly' Producer Explode Into Twitter Showdown Over These Accusations...
"Apologize? Are you kidding?"
Yup
Sidebar
All seriousness
I been known her since WAY back
Is she sick?
Cause she went from a light shin slimmie to ummm not.
3 Men Arrested for Allegedly Bribing and Intimidating R. Kelly Accusers
By Victoria Bekiempis
R. Kelly. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
Three men were arrested Tuesday for alleged crimes “relating to their efforts to harass, intimidate, threaten or corruptly influence” accusers in R. Kelly’s Brooklyn Federal Court sex-trafficking case, federal prosecutors said this morning. R. Kelly, full name Robert Sylvester Kelly, faces charges for alleged racketeering and sexual abuse of women and girls, including allegations that he exposed two accusers to herpes without telling them.
One person, Michael Williams, is accused of setting a vehicle on fire in front of an accuser’s residence two months ago. Williams, “together with others, did knowingly and intentionally use intimidation and threaten and attempt to use intimidation … with the intent to influence, delay and prevent the testimony of Jane Doe …,” according to a just-unsealed arrest affidavit.
Just before 3 a.m. on June 11, a black SUV was “set on fire in an apparent arson” in front of the Florida residence where Jane Doe was staying. One of the men in the residence ran outside after hearing an explosion “and saw an individual fleeing from the scene of the fire, whose arm appeared to be lit on fire.”
Investigators found that “an accelerant was present along some or all of the outside perimeter of the residence.” Williams, prosecutors said, “is a family member” of a person identified in court documents as “I-1,” a former R. Kelly publicist.
Richard Arline Jr., a “self-proclaimed longtime friend of Kelly,” was arrested for allegations that he “attempted to illegally influence the cooperation and testimony of an alleged victim in the Kelly case.” The Feds allege that Arline Jr. discussed a plot where one accuser would get money — including a proposed payoff of $500,000 — not to cooperate with prosecutors. In a recorded phone call, Arline Jr. said that he communicated with Kelly while the singer was behind bars, “via a three-way call with another individual.”
Donnell Russell, “a self-described manager, adviser, and friend of Kelly,” allegedly threatened to release “sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and to publicly reveal her sexual history if she did not withdraw her lawsuit against Kelly,” the Feds said. Russell, using the alias Colon Dunn, launched a Facebook page named “Surviving Lies” — a reference to Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries — and posted screenshots of texts between Kelly and Jane Doe, which included “sexually explicit” photos of her. Russell also appears on two live YouTube interviews to discuss Kelly’s legal problems — and “again displayed the same sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and broadcast them publicly over the internet,” court documents claim.
Asked for comment, Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, told Vulture: “Kelly has nothing to do with this — nothing to do with it at all.” Greenberg also said, adding shortly thereafter, “He’s never reached out to a witness, he’s never tried to intimidate a witness.” Contact information for the three men’s attorneys was not immediately available.
Kelly, who also faces charges in Chicago federal court, has been jailed since his July 2019 arrest. Kelly’s New York trial, which had been rescheduled from this summer to September because of the coronavirus, will likely be delayed again because of COVID-19-related court slowdowns. Greenberg said that there is a status conference next week, where the judge is expected to discuss the trial date.
This is a developing story.
What a douche. Dude, take that sentence you been begging for.
R. Kelly nearly stabbed with a pen in jailhouse attack by an inmate
The disgraced music artist had been asleep at the Metropolitan Correctional Center last Wednesday when the inmate, who had 'F**k the Feds' tattooed on his face, snuck into his cell.
R. Kelly was nearly stabbed with a pen during jailhouse beatdown: lawyer
The inmate who recently attacked R. Kelly in his Chicago jail cell has “F–k the Feds” tattooed to his face and tried to stab the disgraced R&B artist with a pen, court records showed Mond…
pagesix.com
Search - r kelly - news
www.tmz.com
R. Kelly's Alleged Jail Attacker Identifies Himself
R. Kelly's alleged jailhouse attacker just identified himself.
www.tmz.com
Latin King tied to 2 murders claims he attacked R. Kelly to expose corruption
Records show Jeremiah Shane Farmer was convicted last year of a racketeering conspiracy that involved two June 1999 murders. The feds say the victims were beaten to death with a hammer.
chicago.suntimes.com
Inmate Writes, 'The Government Made Me Attack R. Kelly'
In a legal filing this week, an inmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center claims he sneaked into R. Kelly's jail cell with every intention of attacking the singer.
chicago.cbslocal.com
Who is R Kelly's attacker Jeremiah Shane Farmer? Latin Kings gang member once beat two men to death with hammer
Farmer wrote a six-page legal filing titled 'the government made me attack R Kelly' and said that he did it for media spotlight to prove his innocence
meaww.com
R. Kelly Reportedly Stomped on Head, Nearly Stabbed in Jail Attack
R. Kelly Reportedly Stomped on Head, Nearly Stabbed in Jail Attack
R. Kelly nearly stabbed with a pen in jailhouse attack by an inmate
The disgraced music artist had been asleep at the Metropolitan Correctional Center last Wednesday when the inmate, who had 'F**k the Feds' tattooed on his face, snuck into his cell.www.dailymail.co.uk
R. Kelly was nearly stabbed with a pen during jailhouse beatdown: lawyer
The inmate who recently attacked R. Kelly in his Chicago jail cell has “F–k the Feds” tattooed to his face and tried to stab the disgraced R&B artist with a pen, court records showed Mond…
Search - r kelly - news
Mf Kellz was like man wtf? What I do? Ol bitch ass nigga!
R.Kelly asks for a sixth time to be released from federal prison
Attorneys for R.Kelly requested that he be released on bail after a fellow inmate, Jeremiah Shane Farmer, attacked him inside a jail in Chicago, Illinois, last month
R. Kelly asks again to be released from federal custody after inmate says he beat the R&B singer in Chicago jail
Lawyers for indicted singer R. Kelly filed a motion Friday seeking to question under oath a reputed gang member who said he violently attacked Kelly at the federal lockup in Chicago because he want…
www.chicagotribune.com
R. Kelly's attorneys appeal for release, saying he hasn't been able to prepare for trial in nearly six months | CNN
R. Kelly's attorneys will ask for his release from federal custody before an appeals court on Friday, arguing that the singer has been unable to prepare for his upcoming trial for nearly six months.
THE LAW 12:25 A.M.
R. Kelly Associate Pleads Guilty to Arson After Torching Alleged Victim’s SUV in Florida
By Halle Kiefer@hallekiefer
Photo: E. JASON WAMBSGANS/AFP via Getty Images
In August, three associates of R. Kelly were arrested for allegedly attempting to intimidate and threaten women who have accused the singer of sexual abuse and harassment. On Monday, one of those men, Michael Williams, pleaded guilty to arson, according to the New York Daily News, after setting an SUV, parked outside an alleged victim’s Florida home, on fire. Williams, reportedly a relative of Kelly’s former publicist, identified in court documents as “I-1,” will be sentenced on October 5 and could face up to 71 months in prison.
On Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court, Williams admitted to Judge Ann Donnelly that he “deliberately set a car on fire in someone’s driveway,” as part of a plea deal that will dismiss a related witness-tampering charge. Per the initial police report, on June 11, Williams set a black SUV alight; authorities later found evidence of an accelerant on the property. A man also living in the residence told police he “saw an individual fleeing from the scene of the fire, whose arm appeared to be lit on fire.”
One of the other men arrested and charged in August, Richard Arline, pleaded guilty in February to attempting to bribe an R. Kelly accuser into staying silent, while the third, Donnell Russell, pleaded not guilty in October to threatening one of the singer’s accusers, and was in plea negotiations as of November.
“Kelly has nothing to do with this — nothing to do with it at all,” R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told Vulture at the time of the trio’s arrest this summer. “He’s never reached out to a witness, he’s never tried to intimidate a witness.” According to the Daily News, the accuser targeted by Williams is allegedly one of the victims testifying in the singer’s upcoming racketeering trial, scheduled to take place in Brooklyn this July.
R. Kelly Associate Pleads Guilty to Arson After Torching Alleged Victim’s SUV in Florida
By Halle Kiefer@hallekiefer
Photo: E. JASON WAMBSGANS/AFP via Getty Images
In August, three associates of R. Kelly were arrested for allegedly attempting to intimidate and threaten women who have accused the singer of sexual abuse and harassment. On Monday, one of those men, Michael Williams, pleaded guilty to arson, according to the New York Daily News, after setting an SUV, parked outside an alleged victim’s Florida home, on fire. Williams, reportedly a relative of Kelly’s former publicist, identified in court documents as “I-1,” will be sentenced on October 5 and could face up to 71 months in prison.
On Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court, Williams admitted to Judge Ann Donnelly that he “deliberately set a car on fire in someone’s driveway,” as part of a plea deal that will dismiss a related witness-tampering charge. Per the initial police report, on June 11, Williams set a black SUV alight; authorities later found evidence of an accelerant on the property. A man also living in the residence told police he “saw an individual fleeing from the scene of the fire, whose arm appeared to be lit on fire.”
One of the other men arrested and charged in August, Richard Arline, pleaded guilty in February to attempting to bribe an R. Kelly accuser into staying silent, while the third, Donnell Russell, pleaded not guilty in October to threatening one of the singer’s accusers, and was in plea negotiations as of November.
“Kelly has nothing to do with this — nothing to do with it at all,” R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told Vulture at the time of the trio’s arrest this summer. “He’s never reached out to a witness, he’s never tried to intimidate a witness.” According to the Daily News, the accuser targeted by Williams is allegedly one of the victims testifying in the singer’s upcoming racketeering trial, scheduled to take place in Brooklyn this July.
THE LAW 12:25 A.M.
R. Kelly Associate Pleads Guilty to Arson After Torching Alleged Victim’s SUV in Florida
By Halle Kiefer@hallekiefer
Photo: E. JASON WAMBSGANS/AFP via Getty Images
In August, three associates of R. Kelly were arrested for allegedly attempting to intimidate and threaten women who have accused the singer of sexual abuse and harassment. On Monday, one of those men, Michael Williams, pleaded guilty to arson, according to the New York Daily News, after setting an SUV, parked outside an alleged victim’s Florida home, on fire. Williams, reportedly a relative of Kelly’s former publicist, identified in court documents as “I-1,” will be sentenced on October 5 and could face up to 71 months in prison.
On Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court, Williams admitted to Judge Ann Donnelly that he “deliberately set a car on fire in someone’s driveway,” as part of a plea deal that will dismiss a related witness-tampering charge. Per the initial police report, on June 11, Williams set a black SUV alight; authorities later found evidence of an accelerant on the property. A man also living in the residence told police he “saw an individual fleeing from the scene of the fire, whose arm appeared to be lit on fire.”
One of the other men arrested and charged in August, Richard Arline, pleaded guilty in February to attempting to bribe an R. Kelly accuser into staying silent, while the third, Donnell Russell, pleaded not guilty in October to threatening one of the singer’s accusers, and was in plea negotiations as of November.
“Kelly has nothing to do with this — nothing to do with it at all,” R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told Vulture at the time of the trio’s arrest this summer. “He’s never reached out to a witness, he’s never tried to intimidate a witness.” According to the Daily News, the accuser targeted by Williams is allegedly one of the victims testifying in the singer’s upcoming racketeering trial, scheduled to take place in Brooklyn this July.
Grown ass men doing the bidding of a pedo......
R. Kelly’s Tour Manager Was ‘Concerned’ About Aaliyah Relationship But Didn’t Stop It
By Victoria Bekiempis
R. Kelly’s sex crimes trial resumed on Monday, continuing testimony from his former road manager, Demetrius Smith. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Getty Images
As testimony in R. Kelly’s Brooklyn federal court sex-crimes trial came to an end for the week on Friday afternoon, more details emerged about how Kelly allegedly controlled his inner circle using their devotion, with the purported aim of preying on girls and women. Testimony from Kelly’s former road manager, Demetrius Smith, reflected an obligation to Kelly despite his deep reservations over the R&B star’s alleged sexual relationship with Aaliyah when she was in her early teens and he was in his mid-to-late 20s.
Indeed, Smith’s description of his involvement with Kelly’s alleged plan to wed Aaliyah when she was 15 — because of a pregnancy scare — apparently boiled down to simple, serviceable loyalty. Kelly asked Smith “which side” he was on, Smith recalled; he chose Kelly’s side, whatever concerns he had subsumed by this notion of siding. And Smith didn’t just go along with it — he was an active participant.
Smith’s continued commitment to Kelly was apparent in court.
“I don’t want to be here, period,” Smith said when it was time for him to take the witness stand. (Smith was subpoenaed to testify; because he said he would take the fifth, over concerns of self-incrimination, Smith was granted immunity from prosecution — except for crimes such as obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and perjury. He previously spoke in the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.)
“You’re in good company, a lot of people don’t,” Judge Ann Donnelly said. “The bottom line is you have to testify.”
“I didn’t [do anything] to be prosecuted for, so why would I testify? Period,” said Smith, whose behavior ranged from combative to somewhat taunting during his time in court.
Smith, who worked for Kelly from 1984 and 1996, said he was blown away by Kelly’s perfect work when they met. At the beginning, Smith said, “I just wanted to be someone he could look up to.” As Kelly’s career picked up, Smith said, “I just wanted him to be comfortable.”
In 1992, after Kelly’s career had taken off, the singer’s then-manager, Barry Hankerson, told him and Smith about his niece in Detroit, Aaliyah Dana Haughton. Hankerson wanted them to hear her sing, so they traveled to Michigan and went to the Haughton’s house.
“She was very shy,” Smith said of Aaliyah. Kelly went to the piano and brought “angelic stuff out of her.”
“Don’t she have something special?” they both thought. Aaliyah and her parents wound up traveling to Chicago, so she and Kelly could work together. She had just turned 13.
Prosecutors asked: Did they socialize outside the studio? Were they ever alone together?
“Yes, we all socialized,” Smith said. “If Robert wanted to be alone with Aaliyah, it was all about the music.”
What did Kelly say about needing to be alone with Aaliyah?
“To work on her vocals. He would say he needs to spend time with her,” Smith said.
Smith was then asked whether he ever had a conversation with Kelly about his relationship with Aaliyah. There was a long pause.
“I thought that they were playful and at times. I was concerned,” he said, remembering that he’d asked: “Robert, everything cool with you and Aaliyah?”
“I just thought they were over-playful,” he continued, also recalling that he had asked: “Robert, are you messing with Aaliyah or anything? He’d say ‘no.’”
“I didn’t want people to have the wrong vision of things,” Smith said of his inquiries.
Smith said he didn’t assume anything was up, but then conceded: “They were more than friends from the very beginning.”
Kelly’s involvement with Aaliyah took an even more disturbing tour when he was on tour in 1994. Shortly before Kelly was to perform one night, he remarked that “Aaliyah was in trouble.”
After the show, they headed to the airport and boarded a plane back to Chicago. Smith described Kelly’s demeanor as “quiet.”
“She thinks she’s pregnant,” Smith recalls Kelly saying.
Kelly said that one of his confidants was “making arrangements for him to marry Aaliyah … to protect himself [and] to protect Aaliyah.” The idea behind this was that if Aaliyah were married to Kelly, she couldn’t testify against him.
Smith told Kelly that just bcecause Aaliyah said she was pregnant “doesn’t mean she’s pregnant.”
“He was crying a lot. He was crying,” Smith said. “I told him that he couldn’t marry Aaliyah, that she was too young.”
“He was confused. He said, ‘which side was I on?’”
Smith wound up playing an integral role in the illicit nuptials. Shortly after arriving in Chicago, they went to a hotel where Aaliyah was in a room. He didn’t like what was going on, but felt like he would be pushed out of Kelly’s circle.
“I wanted to stay in the loop.”
Smith said he would get Aaliyah a fake ID, because she couldn’t marry at her age. Smith figured someone in a welfare office would give an ID card in exchange for some cash, using a “hey, wanna make some money” approach. He drove to the welfare office, with Kelly and Aaliyah in a car behind him.
They found an obliging clerk. “I made her an offer, she took the money; I gave her 500 bucks,” he said. Eventually, they made their way to a city clerk’s office, where Kelly and Aaliyah got a marriage license. He was 27 and she 15.
“I’m uncomfortable talking constantly about Aaliyah,” Smith snapped shortly after describing the marriage plot. “Her parents aren’t here, and I don’t want to understand why I gotta do that.”
Smith’s most fervent expression of remorse seemed to come Monday morning, when the trial resumed.
“That shouldn’t have happened. That was wrong. I shouldn’t be talking about [Aaliyah], she’s not here,” he said.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
By Victoria Bekiempis
R. Kelly’s sex crimes trial resumed on Monday, continuing testimony from his former road manager, Demetrius Smith. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Getty Images
As testimony in R. Kelly’s Brooklyn federal court sex-crimes trial came to an end for the week on Friday afternoon, more details emerged about how Kelly allegedly controlled his inner circle using their devotion, with the purported aim of preying on girls and women. Testimony from Kelly’s former road manager, Demetrius Smith, reflected an obligation to Kelly despite his deep reservations over the R&B star’s alleged sexual relationship with Aaliyah when she was in her early teens and he was in his mid-to-late 20s.
Indeed, Smith’s description of his involvement with Kelly’s alleged plan to wed Aaliyah when she was 15 — because of a pregnancy scare — apparently boiled down to simple, serviceable loyalty. Kelly asked Smith “which side” he was on, Smith recalled; he chose Kelly’s side, whatever concerns he had subsumed by this notion of siding. And Smith didn’t just go along with it — he was an active participant.
Smith’s continued commitment to Kelly was apparent in court.
“I don’t want to be here, period,” Smith said when it was time for him to take the witness stand. (Smith was subpoenaed to testify; because he said he would take the fifth, over concerns of self-incrimination, Smith was granted immunity from prosecution — except for crimes such as obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, and perjury. He previously spoke in the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.)
“You’re in good company, a lot of people don’t,” Judge Ann Donnelly said. “The bottom line is you have to testify.”
“I didn’t [do anything] to be prosecuted for, so why would I testify? Period,” said Smith, whose behavior ranged from combative to somewhat taunting during his time in court.
Smith, who worked for Kelly from 1984 and 1996, said he was blown away by Kelly’s perfect work when they met. At the beginning, Smith said, “I just wanted to be someone he could look up to.” As Kelly’s career picked up, Smith said, “I just wanted him to be comfortable.”
In 1992, after Kelly’s career had taken off, the singer’s then-manager, Barry Hankerson, told him and Smith about his niece in Detroit, Aaliyah Dana Haughton. Hankerson wanted them to hear her sing, so they traveled to Michigan and went to the Haughton’s house.
“She was very shy,” Smith said of Aaliyah. Kelly went to the piano and brought “angelic stuff out of her.”
“Don’t she have something special?” they both thought. Aaliyah and her parents wound up traveling to Chicago, so she and Kelly could work together. She had just turned 13.
Prosecutors asked: Did they socialize outside the studio? Were they ever alone together?
“Yes, we all socialized,” Smith said. “If Robert wanted to be alone with Aaliyah, it was all about the music.”
What did Kelly say about needing to be alone with Aaliyah?
“To work on her vocals. He would say he needs to spend time with her,” Smith said.
Smith was then asked whether he ever had a conversation with Kelly about his relationship with Aaliyah. There was a long pause.
“I thought that they were playful and at times. I was concerned,” he said, remembering that he’d asked: “Robert, everything cool with you and Aaliyah?”
“I just thought they were over-playful,” he continued, also recalling that he had asked: “Robert, are you messing with Aaliyah or anything? He’d say ‘no.’”
“I didn’t want people to have the wrong vision of things,” Smith said of his inquiries.
Smith said he didn’t assume anything was up, but then conceded: “They were more than friends from the very beginning.”
Kelly’s involvement with Aaliyah took an even more disturbing tour when he was on tour in 1994. Shortly before Kelly was to perform one night, he remarked that “Aaliyah was in trouble.”
After the show, they headed to the airport and boarded a plane back to Chicago. Smith described Kelly’s demeanor as “quiet.”
“She thinks she’s pregnant,” Smith recalls Kelly saying.
Kelly said that one of his confidants was “making arrangements for him to marry Aaliyah … to protect himself [and] to protect Aaliyah.” The idea behind this was that if Aaliyah were married to Kelly, she couldn’t testify against him.
Smith told Kelly that just bcecause Aaliyah said she was pregnant “doesn’t mean she’s pregnant.”
“He was crying a lot. He was crying,” Smith said. “I told him that he couldn’t marry Aaliyah, that she was too young.”
“He was confused. He said, ‘which side was I on?’”
Smith wound up playing an integral role in the illicit nuptials. Shortly after arriving in Chicago, they went to a hotel where Aaliyah was in a room. He didn’t like what was going on, but felt like he would be pushed out of Kelly’s circle.
“I wanted to stay in the loop.”
Smith said he would get Aaliyah a fake ID, because she couldn’t marry at her age. Smith figured someone in a welfare office would give an ID card in exchange for some cash, using a “hey, wanna make some money” approach. He drove to the welfare office, with Kelly and Aaliyah in a car behind him.
They found an obliging clerk. “I made her an offer, she took the money; I gave her 500 bucks,” he said. Eventually, they made their way to a city clerk’s office, where Kelly and Aaliyah got a marriage license. He was 27 and she 15.
“I’m uncomfortable talking constantly about Aaliyah,” Smith snapped shortly after describing the marriage plot. “Her parents aren’t here, and I don’t want to understand why I gotta do that.”
Smith’s most fervent expression of remorse seemed to come Monday morning, when the trial resumed.
“That shouldn’t have happened. That was wrong. I shouldn’t be talking about [Aaliyah], she’s not here,” he said.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
1:55:55
R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking
R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking. The Grammy-winning singer also faces various charges in Chicago and is scheduled to go to trial in August.
R. Kelly's alleged victim Jocelyn Savage says they're engaged
Joycelyn Savage, a girlfriend and alleged victim of R. Kelly who has stood by the singer as he was convicted of sex-trafficking crimes, said in a court filing that the two are engaged.
R. Kelly Silenced Aaliyah and Her Family With Non-Disclosure Agreement After Marriage Annulment, Docuseries Reveals
Lifetime's "Surviving R. Kelly" exposed new details regarding R. Kelly's marriage to a then 15-year-old Aaliyah, including an NDA used to silence her.
variety.com
R. Kelly Silenced Aaliyah and Her Family With Non-Disclosure Agreement After Marriage Annulment, Docuseries Reveals
Lifetime's "Surviving R. Kelly" exposed new details regarding R. Kelly's marriage to a then 15-year-old Aaliyah, including an NDA used to silence her.variety.com
