R. Kellyappeared in Chicago court on Friday after having previously beencharged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
According to CNN, Kelly’s legal team filed a motion on Wednesday requesting that the singer’s passport —which he surrendered as a condition of his $1 million bail bond in February— be returned so that he could perform concerts in Dubai next month.
The matter was not discussed at Friday’s hearing, but the judge agreed on a motion to continue. He is due back in court on May 7 at 9:45 a.m. local time.
During the brief hearing, Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, formally asked for copies oftapes lawyer Michael Avenatti claims to havethat allegedly show Kelly engaging in acts of sexual abuse with his clients. The judge did not yet rule on whether Kelly’s team will get copies.
R. Kelly.Matt Marton/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Greenberg previouslypleaded not guiltyon Kelly’s behalf to all charges, according to the Associated Press.
A judge ruled last week that cameras would be allowed in the courtroom during Kelly’s trial and pretrial hearings.
“Mr. Kelly wants this to be an open and transparent process,” Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told theAssociated Press. “So far there have been rumors, there have been allegations … but with cameras in the courtroom, everyone will see what really happens.”
Although cameras will be allowed in the courtroom, the judge also ruled that Kelly’s accusers will need to give their consent before being photographed or filmed.
Kelly was mostrecently jailedfollowing a child support hearing in Chicago. Days after his arrest, the singer was released on March 9 after a payment for the$161,000 in back child supporthe owedex-wife Andrea Kellywas made anonymously on his behalf.
The singer was first released from jail on Feb. 25, after paying 10 percent of his $1 million bail.
R. Kelly heading to court in Chicago on March 22, 2019.Matt Marton/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Amid his legal trouble, Kelly also gave anemotionally charged interviewwithGayle King, during which the singer grew increasingly upset as he denied the allegations made against him.
“Forget how you feel about me! Hate me if you want to, love me if you want, but use your common sense!” he told King during theCBS This Morninginterview. “How stupid would it be for me with my crazy past and what I’ve been through to be like, ‘Oh right now, I think I need to be a monster and hold girls against their will, chain ’em up in my basement and don’t let ’em eat and don’t let ’em out?’”
“Stop it. Y’all, quit playing! I didn’t do this stuff,” he added while getting choked up. “This is not me! I’m fighting for my f—ing life!”
King also spoke with Kelly’s two live-in girlfriends, Joycelyn Savage, 23, and Azriel Clary, 21. Savage’s parents have accused R. Kelly of kidnapping their daughter, though she says she’sliving with the singer of her own free will.
RELATED VIDEO: R. Kelly’s Girlfriends Defend Singer Against Sexual Abuse Charges: ‘You Guys Don’t Know the Truth’
The alleged incidents all occurred between May 1998 and January 2010.
Aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a Class 2 felony with a sentencing range of three to seven years per change, and is probationable.
R. Kelly.CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Kelly, who has repeatedly denied all claims against him, was previously arrested in 2002 on child pornography charges. Six years later, a Cook County jury found Kelly not guilty on all 14 counts.
Kelly’s alleged behavior came to the media forefront again in July 2017, when BuzzFeed published a bombshell report accusing the star of running a “sex cult” out of his Chicago and Atlanta-area homes, and after the release ofSurviving R. Kellyin January.
According to those reports, the star allegedly seduced a number of young women with the promise of helping them kickstart a music career, only to “groom” them into being his personal sex objects for whom he allegedly controlled every aspect of their lives.
If you suspect domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
