R. Kelly became a pop superstar in the 90s – but the first reports of sexual abuse made the rounds even then. Now the musician is on trial in New York. He himself speaks of character assassination.
New York – With the selection of the jury, the trial of the former pop superstar R. Kelly (54) should start today. According to the indictment, Kelly has to answer before a court in Brooklyn, New York, for, among other things, extortion and sexual exploitation of minors.
Together with a team of employees, Kelly is said to have forced girls and women to have sex for years. The musician, who has been in prison since his arrest in summer 2019, has repeatedly denied all allegations and accused his critics of a character assassination campaign. The opening speeches are scheduled for August 18th.
Process postponed due to pandemic
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the start of the process, which was actually planned for May 2020, had previously been postponed several times. The 54-year-old tried repeatedly to use the pandemic as an opportunity to be released from prison early on bail, but these applications were repeatedly denied.
The process should take several weeks. If convicted, the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer could face decades of imprisonment – and there are similarly long indictments against him in Chicago and Minnesota.
Allegations 25 years ago
The first allegations against Robert Sylvester Kelly, born in Chicago in 1967, were known about 25 years ago. But the music colossus seemed unassailable on its pop throne – with more than 50 million albums sold, several Grammys and other awards, he was one of the most successful musicians of the late 20th century.
„Surviving R. Kelly“
At the latest in the course of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment, the sensational documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” summarized the allegations in 2019, it became more and more lonely for the singer. Stars distanced themselves from him, as did radio stations, streaming services and then his music label RCA, which belongs to Sony Music. In the summer of 2019, R. Kelly was arrested in Chicago while he was walking his dog “Believe”. dpa
