Why R. Kelly's List Of Criminal Charges Is Now A Bit Shorter
R. Kelly went from famed R&B singer to convicted felon. Over the years, the musician's career quickly became overshadowed by the dozens of allegations made against him. It all started in the late 90's and early 2000's when women began coming forward claiming the singer had sexual relations with them while they were underage, per BBC. However, during this time, R. Kelly was able to be let go of the charges due to insufficient evidence.
In 2017, new allegations were brought to light after a BuzzFeed News article was released claiming the singer had created a "cult" of women at his disposal. This sparked a movement among women who had been victims of R. Kelly. Thus began a years-long trial where multiple women came forward to share their heartbreaking stories.
According to NPR, a woman by the name of Angela testified and shared, "I am a representation of every woman, boy, child, man that you have ever afflicted with your deplorable, inexplicable acts, and with that, I leave you with yourself, Robert Sylvester Kelly." After a long court battle, Kelly was finally convicted in 2021 of "racketeering and eight violations of an anti-sex trafficking law known as the Mann Act," per The New York Times. R. Kelly was sentenced in New York to 30 years in prison.
The singer was left to face indictment charges in Chicago, but it seems that things have since changed.
R. Kelly gets Cook County charges dropped
R. Kelly is looking at a lighter sentence than he thought. In 2019, the musician was charged with ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, per CBS. It's been nearly four years since the initial charge, and it seems like they are not going to be moving forward.
According to the New York Post, Cook County's state attorney Kim Foxx decided to drop the charges against R. Kelly. Foxx shared her reasoning behind the decision, stating, "We have a significant number of cases and survivors who are equally in need of the resources that have been expended on Mr. Kelly's cases." Foxx explained that she and the county fully believe the victims in R. Kelly's case and doesn't discredit what they have been through.
As you may recall, R. Kelly had been sentenced on federal charges in New York for 30 years, and the county felt this was "justice." She said, "For them [the victims], the process of going through this process was very difficult, and they are pleased with the outcome of the sentence and judgment against Mr. Kelly." Therefore, they will not be pursuing the charges against the musician. Although the charges were dropped, R. Kelly is still not pleased, per TMZ. Jennifer Bonjean, who is Kelly's attorney, spoke with him after Foxx delivered the news. She said, "There is no real sense of relief. He is still fighting for his life. He is facing decades in prison."