Singer R. Kelly's attorneys stated that he was attacked in his jail cell by a fellow inmate, they are now calling for his release. R. Kelly is being held at an Illinois jail after he was charged with rape, kidnapping, and sexual assault of minors.
Fear for his safety
An attorney for Kelly, Doug Anton, said that the singer's legal team had been advised by the US Attorney's Office that he was on his bed in his cell on August 25 at Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center when another inmate came in and started to punch Kelly.
The guards at the federal facility stopped the assault immediately. According to Atty. Anton, Kelly did not sustain any serious injuries and that he did not have any fractures based on his X-rays, as reported by Vulture.
However, another attorney that represents Kelly, Steve Greenberg, said on Twitter that his legal team had received conflicting reports as to the extent of Kelly's injuries. He added that the team had not been given any information from the jail or Kelly himself.
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Atty. Anton said that he had not talked to Kelly about the alleged altercation yet. Kelly's attorneys have said that his ability to communicate with them has been restricted since the lockdowns were implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic. In-person visits were also limited.
Solitary confinement
On August 28, Kelly had been moved to solitary confinement at the Special Housing Unit for his own protection, as reported by BBC.
A Bureau of Prisons spokesman, Emery Nelson, had no comment on whether Kelly was involved in an altercation. Nelson said that for privacy, safety, and security reasons, they do comment on an individual inmate's conditions of confinement or medical status.
The alleged incident comes a week before one of Kelly's attorneys, Tom Farinella, is set to argue for R. Kelly to be released from prison ahead of his Brooklyn federal trial, which is scheduled to begin at the end of September 2020.
Farinella said in a statement that the incident, coupled with the coronavirus restrictions at the MCC, reinforces the need for Kelly to be released so that he can assist in his defense with counsel and prepare for trial without the fear that his personal safety is at risk.
Kelly is currently facing charges in New York, including violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits sex trafficking across state lines, and racketeering.
The singer also faces federal charges of child pornography and other crimes by the US Northern District of Illinois, where he is being held without bail. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and he is now awaiting trial.
In August 2020, federal prosecutors went after his friends for allegedly plotting to threaten, harass, intimidate or bribe some of the witnesses and accusers, including setting a car on fire, threatening to release sexually explicit photos, and offering $500,000 bribe, as reported by USA TODAY.
The prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York announced the unsealing of three criminal complaints against Donnell Russell, Richard Arline, Jr., and Michael Williams. All three have been arrested and are facing multiple charges.
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