Earlier this year, it was reported that R. Kelly was finally being held accountable for his purported actions toward Aaliyah at the beginning of the 1990s. Variety reported that the singer-songwriter’s lawyer pled not guilty on his behalf in New York’s racketeering case.
He did so through a link from a Chicago courtroom on Monday, according to WGN and other publications. The Justice Department charged R. Kelly earlier this month with one charge of bribery regarding his acquisition of a fake ID for a woman in 1994, the same year he tried to marry Aaliyah, which was later annulled by her parents.
The New York Times pointed out that it was very likely the false ID was for Aaliyah, whom he married that year. She was 15-years-old at the time, and R. Kelly was 27-years-old. The Chicago Sun-Times claims former associates of the singer alleged they acquired a fake ID for Aaliyah in order for the marriage to proceed.
As it was noted above, Aaliyah’s parents annulled the marriage in the following year once they became aware of it. The marriage between them was illegal under state law. 6 years later, the singer-songwriter tragically died in a plane crash during the summer of 2001.
Steven Greenberg, in addition to another Kelly attorney, appeared with him in the Chicago courtroom earlier this year and confirmed with the singer that he understood the indictment. Following the hearing, Kelly’s lawyers described the indictment as “ridiculous.”
At the moment, Kelly is gearing up to go on trial for sexual misconduct and sexual abuse in three states, including Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. Currently, authorities are holding him in a facility outside of Chicago, Illinois.
Kelly has pled not guilty to all the aforementioned charges. This wouldn’t be the first time Kelly has been charged with such a crime either. Back in 2002, he was charged with child pornography crimes after a video surfaced online in which he was sleeping with an underage girl.
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The girl in the tape declined to testify and Kelly was let off in 2008.
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