CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Singer R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on September 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly is facing multiple sexual assault charges and is being held without bail.
Embattled singer R. Kelly reportedly recently was involved in a physical confrontation with a fellow inmate in prison.
A frustrated inmate juped and attacked the songwriter in his cell inside Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he’s awaiting trial on federal sexual abuse charges, as TMZ reports.
According to federal law enforcement sources, Kelly was sitting on his bed when another prisoner walked in his cell and began punching the artist.
The inmate was reportedly mad because the prison had been placed on lockdown several times due to R. Kelly protesters outside of the facility.
The fight didn’t last long, however. It’s unclear if another prisoner or guard broke up the fight. The 53-year-old singer was reportedly examined by a doctor and it was determined that he was fine and didn’t sustain any serious injuries.
Steven Greenberg, Kelly’s attorney declined to comment on the altercation, only stating that the singer has been a model prisoner.
Last year, Kelly surrendered to Chicago police and is awaiting trial. The “I Beleive I Can Fly” singer pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to be tried first in New York, on Sept. 29 with jury selection.
However, the date could be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors said that three of Kelly’s associates tried to sway potential witnesses ahead of trial by intimidating and bribing them, as we previously reported.
One of the singer’s associates allegedly set fire to a parked car outside the house of a woman who had accused the singer of abuse, while another one of his alleged victims received an offer of $500,000 to buy her silence.
Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter @GlennishaMorgan.
