R&B Legend R. Kelly—Found Guilty On All Counts

The music industry may have a worse reputation than Hollywood when it comes to sexual harassment and abuse. Think about fans who will “do anything” to meet their idol musician, or the talented, up-and-coming stars, looking for mentorship and a “manager” without the experience to know what that relationship should entail and what is appropriate. Sexual misconduct and statutory rape with minors was not only permitted but glamorized in music and continues today. David Bowie, guitarist Jimmy Page, and Ted Nugent are  some of the alleged violators who engaged in inappropriate relationships with minors.

One of the more notorious examples involves R&B legend R. Kelly, who reportedly mentally and physically abused young talent for his own personal sexual gain, keeping them captive in a cult-like environment and allegedly dictating every aspect of their lives. Until yesterday, numerous legal challenges over the years have failed to find Kelly responsible for any sexual harassment or assault. According to reports, he was tried in an Illinois court in 2008 for making child pornography but, after a six-year legal battle, he was eventually acquitted of all fourteen charges. He also settled multiple civil lawsuits involving sexually inappropriate behavior out-of-court for cash in exchange for the victims’ signatures on non-disclosure agreements ensuring their silence.

In 1994, R. Kelly married his then 15-year-old protege, Aaliyah (the marriage certificate incorrectly stated she was 18), meanwhile producing an album called “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” The marriage was annulled the same year. In one case, parents were trying to get their daughter to leave Kelly’s home but because she was over 18 and unwilling to leave, there was nothing the parents could do .

In January 2019, Lifetime premiered a several part show called "Surviving R. Kelly" that reviewed his alleged mental and physical abuse of women, including minors, and his cult-like behavior of keeping young talent captive for his own personal sexual gain.  

After the documentary aired, TMZ reported that the Fulton County District Attorney’s office opened an investigation and reached out to survivors from the Lifetime premier . R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (three of the victims were minors at the time of the alleged events) and was briefly jailed for missing child support payments .

In a more bizarre twist of events, after being charged, R. Kelly appeared in his first interview with CBS’s Gayle King about his new legal troubles, where he appeared emotionally distraught, combative and angry, portraying himself as the victim of a social media smear campaign. The interview was notably parodied on “Saturday Night Live .”

To make things even worse for R. Kelly, the following May, 11 new counts  were added, four of which are for aggravated criminal sexual assault—a Class X felony that carries a sentence of up to 30 years—involving alleged forced sexual encounters with a minor in 2010. 

There have been 30 years of allegations against R. Kelly, all of which he has denied. But now, victims of R. Kelly are finally getting the justice they deserve. Yesterday, a jury made up of seven men and five women in a federal court in Brooklyn found him guilty on all counts—one count of racketeering  (running a criminal "enterprise" designed to "target, groom, and exploit girls, boys, and young women for his own sexual exploitation" with the assistance of a tight circle of loyal employees) and eight counts of violating an anti-sex-trafficking law known as the Mann Act. During the six-week trial, 45 witnesses testified to the horrifying allegations. R. Kelly's sentencing is scheduled for May 2022 where he faces 10 years to life in prison. An appeal is already planned.

R. Kelly is facing yet more charges—federal charges in Chicago and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota. It will be interesting to see if any of his employees will be charged for participating in Kelly's criminal enterprise.

We wrote Play Nice to help women and men deal with sexual harassment in the workplace immediately when it occurs — as a victim or bystander — to stop the behavior in its tracks, and to help women draw a line of respect and professionalism when it comes to bad behavior. Check out our book ‘Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace’ and join us for further discussion at www.thesandboxseries.com. 

How are you tackling sexual harassment within your own personal circles? What will you do today to be #beupstanding to help #changetheculture for an environment without #sexualharassment and #sexual assault?

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline here or by calling 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).