R. Kelly, a name that sends shivers down the spine of many, is again in the limelight, but for all the wrong reasons.
The embattled singer is now wrestling with a colossal $10.5 million lawsuit.
The lawsuit resulted from an incident back in 2018, where an alleged threat led to the shutdown of a screening of the documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly.”
The twist in the tale? Kelly is arguing that he is not liable for his ex-manager’s actions.
So, buckle up folks, as we take you on a roller-coaster ride through this latest legal drama.
The Big-Bucks Lawsuit
The Legal Labyrinth
In August 2021, a group of six women were awarded a hefty $10.5 million after a lawsuit that originated from a screening of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” in New York City back in December 2018.
The event was briefly interrupted after receiving a violent intimidation threat.
The Co-Plaintiff and The Counter-Argument
Kelly, however, is pushing back against the settlement, alleging that the co-plaintiff, Donnell Russell, should be held solely responsible and bear the financial burden.
Kelly also vehemently denies claims that Russell was ever his manager and was ignorant of his attempts to disrupt the screening.
“He did that for his own reasons,” Kelly insists, according to TMZ.
The Convicted Felon’s Ignorance
Kelly claims he was oblivious to the said lawsuit and would have defended himself had he known about it.
The singer reportedly stated it’s been challenging to track all the lawsuits he’s faced since his imprisonment, given that he’s changed legal teams multiple times.
The Legal Jargon Dilemma
Adding to the convolution, Kelly concluded that even if he’d been aware of the lawsuit, he wouldn’t have been able to decipher the legal jargon.
“I cannot read or understand words beyond that of a grade schooler.”
The Trauma Trigger
The victims behind the lawsuit alleged that the incident reignited previous traumas, resulting in them suffering from PTSD and panic attacks.
Each woman is set to receive between $1.1 million and $2.25 million.
The Garnished Royalties
Before the final verdict, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly of Brooklyn ordered that Kelly’s royalties be garnished to pay the owed restitution and fines amounting to $506,950.26.
Donnelly had previously ordered Kelly to surrender $28,000 from his prison commissary and apply the money towards his debt.
The Prison Life
Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking. Russell, on the other hand, was convicted of violent intimidation and sentenced to one year in prison.
The Documentary Screening Saga
The women had taken legal action against Kelly and Russell, accusing them of trying to shut down a New York City screening of the docuseries in December 2018.
The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants launched a campaign to intimidate the women, A&E/Lifetime, and the producers, to prevent the docuseries’ screening.
The Threat and The Shutdown
When they discovered the show was still going on, they alleged that Kelly’s camp rang up the producers on the night of the NYC event, warning that someone was “going to shoot up the place,” resulting in the screening’s cancellation.
Kelly’s Defense
Kelly maintains that Russell was never his manager and if Russell did make that threat, he did that for his own reasons and not by his command.
The Prison Sentence
Kelly, who is serving a 30-year prison sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking, is currently incarcerated at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina.
He will be nearly 80 years old when he’s released from prison in December 2045.
The Question of The Judgment
There’s still a question if the women will see a dime of the $10.5 million judgment … but it’s clear Kelly doesn’t think he’s liable for this one.
His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has since given a statement, which read, “We are absolutely pushing back on the $10.5 million default judgment that was entered against him without notice and without a sound legal justification.
“It would be simplistic and silly to write that the basis for our motion to vacate the windfall judgment relates solely to his illiteracy (although he is in fact functionally illiterate per formalized testing).”
She concluded, “The more significant problem is that there was no legal basis to enter the default judgment on the merits.”
R. Kelly’s legal roller-coaster seems to have no end in sight. With a hefty lawsuit hanging over his head and a long prison sentence to serve, one thing is for sure: Kelly has a tough road ahead.
Whether he will be held liable for his ex-manager’s actions or not, only time will tell.
In the meantime, we’ll be here, bringing you all the latest updates on this saga. So, stay tuned…