Universal Music Group has been ordered to release over $500,000 in R. Kelly royalties as part of continuing compensation to the disgraced singer's victims. Court documents from the United States Court in the Northern District of Illinois show that UMG held unpaid royalties totaling $567,444.19. The money will now be distributed amongst Kelly's victims, who have only received a reported $27,000 in restitution so far.
Reportedly, the restitution debt owed by Kelly in one case stood at $504,289.73 on June 1. This was according to a separate court filing in Brooklyn. However, Kelly also reportedly owes millions in several other court rulings. Heather Williams, one of the most prominent victims of Kelly, was awarded $4 million in damages in 2020. Elsewhere, an Illinois property management company won $3.5 million over unpaid rent on a Chicago studio owed by Kelly.
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Williams Made Priority In Restitution
The ruling by the United States Court in the Northern District of Illinois not only established how much UMG was holding, but who it should be granted to. The court named Williams as the priority benefactor for the royalties money. This is due to her being the first to properly file a claim for restitution. It is believed that Williams will receive the entirety of the $567K. Furthermore, she will be continued to be paid Kelly's royalties until the restitution is settled.
When approached for comment by HipHopDX, Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean said she had "no opinion" on the latest ruling. Bonjean had previously worked to get Williams' $4 million figure quashed. “I’ve never in my career seen such a flouting of the rules to deny him even the opportunity to defend these civil cases, even when the courts were fully aware that Kelly was incarcerated, unrepresented at points, and facing multiple criminal indictments,” Bonjean said. “Indeed, much of these civil proceedings occurred without Kelly’s knowledge.”
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