R Kelly, the R'n'B artist, has been embroiled in sex abuse accusations for many years. Last July he was arrested and jailed while awaiting trial for 13 federal sex crime charges, including child porn, enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice (all of which he denies).
It's now reported that he's attempted to use the current coronavirus pandemic as grounds for early release from prison – but both attempts have been blocked by a judge.
TMZ report that The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, where R Kelly has been held since last summer, has an outbreak of Covid-19 (500 inmates are believed to have tested positive) and that the star has pleaded for an early release on the basis that he's especially vulnerable to the disease, following surgeries.
R Kelly's legal team described the facility as "a petri dish" and urged Judge Ann Donnelly to grant him an early release for his health and safety. Judge Donnelly, however, denied the appeal. "The judge said [Kelly] is currently in custody because of the risks that he will flee or attempt to obstruct, threaten or intimidate prospective witnesses," writes TMZ. "The defendant has not explained how those risks have changed."
Though he has been dogged by reports of sexual crimes for decades, Kelly was previously acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008. He is currently being held without bail.
He has vehemently rejected all charges, notably during a TV interview with Gayle King in which he said, "Use your common sense. Forget the blogs. Forget how you feel about me. Hate me if you want to, love me if you want, but just use your common sense. I didn't do this stuff. This is not me. I'm fighting for my f**king life!”
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
