R. Kelly’s Rep Responds After Prosecutor Drops Sex Abuse Charges

R. Kelly's rep says he's "fighting for his life" after the prosecutor announced that she's dropping sexual abuse charges against the singer.

BYAron A.
Link Copied to Clipboard!
2.5K Views
R Kelly Returns To Court For Hearing On Aggravated Sexual Abuse Charges

R Kelly isn't relieved, despite prosecutors dropping sex abuse charges.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said she wants to dismiss sex abuse charges against R Kelly, though this news isn’t necessarily a relief to the embattled singer.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 30: R. Kelly performs onstage during R. Kelly, New Edition and The Jacksons at the 2013 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 30, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET)

Per TMZ, the singer’s rep, Jennifer Bonjean, said she spoke to him following Foxx’s decision. Though she praised the State’s Attorney’s move, she said Kelly continues to face the reality of remaining behind bars for the rest of his life.

Foxx revealed that her decision to reel back from pursuing these charges against Kelly were due to numerous factors, including the cost. Additionally, she said that the federal court already convicted him on two similar counts. “[R. Kelly] is looking at the possibility of never walking out of prison again,” she said. “We believe justice has been served,” she added.

Though the sex abuse charges aren’t necessarily weighing on Kelly’s shoulders, there’s still a good chance he won’t be free anytime soon. “There is no real sense of relief. He is still fighting for his life. He is facing decades in prison,” Bonjean said, adding that Foxx made "the right move" to drop the charges.

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Singer R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on September 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly is facing multiple sexual assault charges and is being held without bail. (Photo by Antonio Perez - Pool via Getty Images)

Prosecutors accused Kelly of sexually abusing four people, three of which were minors at the time.

During his New York trial, a judge sentenced Kelly to 30 years behind bars. However, his sentencing in Illinois takes place in February and could lead to an additional 10 to 90 years behind bars. Sexual abuse charges or not, Kelly won’t be coming home anytime soon. 

[Via]

  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.