R. Kelly’s trial will begin very soon.
In the latest update, prosecutors will present evidence that Kelly allegedly had “sexual contact” with Aaliyah when she was underage. The late singer will be referred to as Jane Doe # 1.
R. Kelly and Aaliyah secretly got married in 1994 when she was 15, and he was 27. At the time, Aaliyah used a fake ID that said she was 18 (allegedly, R. Kelly or someone from his camp bribed a government official for the fake ID). The marriage was later annulled.
USA Today points out Aaliyah became pregnant at the time which is why Kelly married her. The article reports that the marriage would have protected him from possible criminal charges at the time because a wife can’t be forced to testify against a husband.
NYDN notes a lawyer for R. Kelly “conceded” that R. Kelly had “sexual contact with recording artist Aaliyah during an awkward exchange over the R&B stars’ illegal marriage when she was just 15.” However, then Kelly’s defense lawyer Thomas Farinella quickly backtracked.
Judge Ann Donnelly asked Farinella,
“Are you going to deny that there was sexual contact with Jane Doe 1?” Farinella reportedly gave a “deep sigh” and said “No.”
Then, Federal prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes then chimed in, giving Farinella an opening to walk back his remark by reminding him that Aaliyah was underage at the time, reported on NYDN. “Are they not going to dispute that at the time Jane Doe 1 [Aaliyah] was 13 to 15 years old?” Geddes asked.
Farinella replied, “We do dispute,” Farinella said, though it was not clear if he was referring to Aaliyah’s age or whether the two had a sexual relationship. “We’re not prepared to concede that right now.”
R. Kelly jury to hear how he illegally wed underage Aaliyah at his sex-trafficking trial https://t.co/CiYYiBsHxU pic.twitter.com/sA71RRhK9V
— MSN (@MSN) August 5, 2021
We’ll keep you updated as everything unfolds!