Chicago’s R. Kelly was rushed to Duke University Hospital after overdosing in prison. This has raised questions about the singer’s safety behind bars while Kelly and his legal team claim the Aryan Brotherhood was behind the attempt on his life.
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO R. KELLY?
His legal team said that Kelly collapsed in his cell at Butner Medium Correctional Institution on 12 June. This happened after the singer and songwriter was allegedly instructed by prison staff to consume additional medication. Kelly spent two days in the hospital, where he learnt that he had ingested a life-threatening amount of this additional medication.
THE ARYAN BROTHERHOOD MIGHT BE RESPONSIBILE
A few days ago, R. Kelly made headlines when he claimed he had received death threats from the Aryan Brotherhood while he was in prison. This came on the back of another celebrity convict, Tory Lanez, being stabbed 14 times in the prison where he was being held. Lanez survived and has since been moved to a different facility.
Kelly’s attorneys claim his poisoning is part of this larger plot to kill him. They claim this incident to be a murder for hire involving the Aryan Brotherhood. Mikeal Glenn Stine is a terminally ill inmate who alerted Kelly to this scheme to see him erased. Stine said prison officials offered him freedom in exchange for conducting this assassination. Another inmate was approached to ensure the job would be carried out when Stine declined the offer.
R. KELLY, THE KING OF R&B, TURNED MASTER MANIPULATOR
Kelly’s legal team has filed an emergency motion which would see him released and confined to his home. The argument cites his life being in jeopardy because of his incarceration, and his team has also cited misconduct by prison officials involving the lack of necessary medical treatment and leaking confidential legal documentation.
Federal prosecutors responded by rubbishing Kelly’s claims and calling these attempts at adjusting the terms of his incarceration “the behaviour of an abuser and a master manipulator.”
Prosecutors are of the impression that he simply wants to duck out on his 30-year sentence for sex trafficking and racketeering.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SINGER NOW?
The court has yet to deliver a ruling on this matter. These allegations have raised concerns around inmate safety and corruption in jails in America, especially as it pertains to high-profile convicts. It is not clear if Kelly will be released, but this has renewed his legal woes.
DO YOU THINK R. KELLY’S CLAIMS ARE VALID OR IS HE LOOKING FOR AN EASY OUT?
Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
