Allegations of child molestation(2009)

In a divorce court filing unsealed in2020, R. Kelly's former wife Andrea claims that R. Kelly was accusedof molesting a preteen girl in 2009.

Second series of accusations(2010s–present)

Huffington Post Live interview(2015)

In December 2015, Kelly appeared onHuffington Post Live in an interview with journalist CarolineModarressy-Tehrani. The interview was conducted so that he couldpromote the release of his thirteenth solo album, The Buffet.

During the interview,Modarressy-Tehrani quizzed Kelly about the sexual abuse allegationsbeing leveled against him and wanted to gauge his reaction. Thisresulted in Kelly growing angry and defensive. He continually shoutedover Modarressy-Tehrani, asked her whether she drank and threatenedto leave and go to McDonald's. Kelly stormed out of the interviewbefore it ended.

The incident was one of the firstoccasions where Kelly was concretely asked about the allegationsagainst him on a public platform. Following Kelly's New Yorkconviction in late-September 2021, Modarressy-Tehrani tweeted: "Now,with this verdict, hopefully, his survivors get some peace and feelthis justice."

Alleged sex cult (2010s)

Jim DeRogatis reported for BuzzFeedNews on July 17, 2017, that Kelly was accused by three sets ofparents of holding their daughters in an "abusive cult".Kelly and the alleged victims denied the allegations.

In March 2018, BBC World Service aireda documentary entitled R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes presentedby reporter Ben Zand that explored the 2017 allegations. This wasfollowed up in May with the BBC Three documentary R Kelly: The SexScandal Continues, which included interviews with the Savage family.

Kelly was again accused of misconducton April 17, 2018, by a former partner of his who claimed that Kelly"intentionally" infected her with a sexuallytransmitted disease. A representative for Kelly stated that he"categorically denies all claims and allegations".

In a January 2019 BBC News article, awoman named Asante McGee whom Kelly had met in 2014 and taken to livewith him some months later, said that she lived with not only Kellyalone, but with other women. She said: "He controlled everyaspect of my life, while I lived with him." McGee later movedout on her own accord.

Boycott and industry response

In May 2018, the Women of Color branchof the Time's Up movement called for a boycott of Kelly's music andperformances over the many allegations against him. The boycott wasaccompanied by a social media campaign called Mute R. Kelly. Inresponse, his management said that Kelly supports the movement inprinciple, but targeting him was "the attempted lynching of ablack man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture".

Music streaming service Spotifyannounced on May 10, 2018, that it was going to stop promoting orrecommending music by Kelly, and XXXTentacion stating, "Wedon't censor content because of an artist's or creator's behavior,but we want our editorial decisions—what we choose to program—toreflect our values." Two days later, Apple Music and Pandoraalso announced that they would cease to feature or promote Kelly'smusic. Spotify was criticized by members of the music industry withconcerns the decision would create a "slippery slope"of muting artists accused of criminal activity. Spotify ultimatelyreversed this decision, following initial backlash including that ofTop Dawg Entertainment, which threatened to remove its musicalcatalog from streaming service.

In early-January 2019, Kelly wasdropped from RCA Records following the airing of Surviving R. Kelly,which detailed numerous sexual assault allegations against the singerfor decades. A number of musicians who collaborated with Kellyexpressed regret for working with him, including Celine Dion ("I'mYour Angel"), Nick Cannon ("Gigolo"), Chancethe Rapper ("Somewhere in Paradise"), Lady Gaga ("DoWhat U Want"), and Jennifer Hudson ("It's YourWorld"). Some went the extent of having streaming servicesremove their own songs that feature his vocals or credit him forsongwriting or production.

As of October 2021, following his NewYork conviction, Kelly's YouTube channel was terminated, but hiscatalogue remained available on YouTube Music.

Alleged music industry complicity

In May 2018, The Washington Postreporter Geoff Edgers wrote "The Star Treatment", alengthy article alleging music industry executives' willful blindnessto Kelly's sexually abusive behavior toward underage girls. Edgersreported that as early as 1994, Kelly's tour manager urged JiveRecords founder Clive Calder to tell Kelly he would not release thesinger's records if he continued to have "incidents"with young women after every concert he gave. Calder told thePost that he regretted not having done more at the time, saying"Clearly, we missed something."

Former Jive president Barry Weiss toldthe newspaper that during twenty years with the label he neverconcerned himself with Kelly's private life and was unaware of twolawsuits filed against Kelly and the label by young women allegingsexual misconduct while they were minors. Jive Records had, in fact,successfully argued it was not liable. Larry Khan, another Jiveexecutive who worked closely with the singer even after viewing thesex tape, likewise implied it was not the label's responsibility, andpointed to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis as musicians whose labelscontinued to release and promote their records despite publicawareness that they were involved with underage girls.

According to Post, executives at EpicRecords also took a similarly relaxed attitude towards allegations ofKelly's sexual misconduct. In 2002, after Kelly signed with thelabel, executive David McPherson allegedly avoided viewing a copy ofa tape purportedly showing the singer having sex with an underagegirl; he simultaneously warned Kelly's assistant that if it turnedout to be Kelly on that tape, the label would drop him. McPherson didnot respond to the Post's requests for comment.

An intern with the label whose worksuffered after she began a relationship with Kelly, ultimatelycosting her the position, settled with Epic for $250,000. CathyCarroll, the executive she worked for, regularly rebuked her formersubordinate for having an affair with a married man whenever the twomet at social functions for years afterwards, and the damage to thewoman's reputation led her to abandon her career in the musicindustry. Carroll told the newspaper the woman was "starstruck... A lot of times it's not really the men."

The Washington Post also suggested thelabels were complicit in the sex-cult allegations from the previoussummer's BuzzFeed piece. Employees at the studios where Kellyrecorded were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and notenter certain rooms, which they said they believed were where Kellymade the young women and underage girls stay while he worked. Despitethe agreements, the newspaper was able to publish screenshots of textexchanges where young women and underage girls in the rooms askedKelly's assistants to let them out so they could go to the bathroomor get food. The newspaper also published pictures taken after Kellyhad concluded a six-week session at a Los Angeles studio, paid for byhis former record label, RCA Records, showing a cup of urine sittingon a piano and urine stains on the wooden floor of another room.

Musical response to allegations

Kelly released the 19-minute long "IAdmit" on SoundCloud on July 23, 2018, as a response to hisaccusers. The song does not contain any criminal admissions despiteits title and chorus, which repeats the lyric "I admit it, Idid it". In "I Admit", Kelly denies allegations ofdomestic violence and pedophilia, asserting that they are matters ofopinion. Kelly also denounces Jim DeRogatis and repudiates hisinvestigative report's claim of Kelly operating a "sex cult".Addressing the Mute R. Kelly social media campaign, Kelly sings,"only God can mute me".

The song was criticized by reviewers,who described it as an act of trolling. Many outlets compared thesong to that of his "Heaven I Need a Hug" extendedversion, Trapped in the Closet opera, "I Believe I Can Fly"concert remix and O. J. Simpson's autobiographical novel, If I DidIt. Andrea Kelly and Carey Killa Kelly, R. Kelly's ex-wife andbrother respectively, responded to "I Admit" withsongs that contain additional allegations against R. Kelly.

An album credited to Kelly titled IAdmit It after and including the 19-minute song from 2018 wasreleased on streaming services on December 9, 2022, but was takendown after it was not approved by Sony or R. Kelly's team. The albumwas credited to Sony's Legacy Recordings but actually uploaded byReal Talk Entertainment, who had released the album through asub-label also named Legacy Recordings. This resulted in the crediteddistributor, Universal Music Group-owned Ingrooves, cutting ties withReal Talk Entertainment.

Surviving R. Kelly (2019–2020)

In January 2019, Lifetime began airinga six-part documentary series titled Surviving R. Kelly detailingsexual abuse and misconduct allegations against Kelly. Writing forthe Los Angeles Times, Loraine Ali observed that the series covered arange of in-depth interviews that "paint a picture of apredator whose behavior was consistently overlooked by the industry,his peers and the public while his spiritual hit was sung in churchesand schools."

Within two weeks, Kelly launched aFacebook page where he sought to discredit the accusers who appearedin the docuseries. Facebook removed the page for violating theirstandards as it appeared to contain personal contact information forhis accusers. The second season titled Surviving R. Kelly Part II:The Reckoning premiered on January 2, 2020. January 2–3, 2023commences the dates of the final season titled Surviving R. Kelly:The Final Chapter, as confirmed on a December 14, 2022 traileruploaded on Lifetime's YouTube account.

Following airing of the Surviving R.Kelly documentary, Kelly was listed in Guinness World Records as themost searched for male musician on Google in 2019. He ranked 8thoverall on Google's list of the 10 most search for people for theyear.

CBS This Morning interview withGayle King (2019)

On March 6, 2019, Gayle Kinginterviewed Kelly on CBS This Morning. Kelly insisted on hisinnocence and blamed social media for the allegations. During theinterview, Kelly had an emotional outburst where he stood up, poundedhis chest, and yelled. Asked by King about John Legend and Lady Gagadenouncing him, Kelly called them "not professional".

The CBS This Morning segment alsoincluded two women whose parents claimed were brainwashed captives ofKelly. They described themselves as "girlfriends" ofKelly, defending and declaring their love for him, while alsodenouncing their parents. Afterward, King would debrief withcolleagues on the recording on the segment. She recalled that acondition for recording the segment with the "girlfriends"was that Kelly would not be in the room with them. Kelly hadnevertheless stayed nearby during the recording and, according toKing, Kelly would "cough really loudly" to remindthe women of his presence.

2019 Cook County arrest andindictments

On February 22, 2019, the Cook CountyState's Attorney's Office in Illinois charged Kelly with 10 counts ofaggravated criminal sexual abuse. The charges allege that from 1998to 2010, Kelly sexually abused four females, three of whom were teenminors at the time, with evidence including a video provided byMichael Avenatti of an alleged new crime. After Kelly turned himselfin the day the charges were announced, he was arrested by the ChicagoPolice Department and taken into custody.

The judge set bond at $1 million andordered Kelly to have no contact with any minor under 18 or allegedvictim. Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges, which he calledlies. He was released on bail after three nights at Cook County Jail.

Federal indictments and pretrialdetention (2019–present)

The first grand jury indictment fromthe Eastern District of New York was handed down June 20, 2019. OnJuly 11, 2019, Kelly was arrested on federal charges alleging sexcrimes and obstruction of justice by U.S. Homeland Securityinvestigators and NYPD detectives in Chicago. A day later, followinghis re-arrest, federal prosecutors from New York and Chicago indictedKelly on 18 charges, including child sexual exploitation, childpornography production, sex trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor,racketeering, and obstruction of justice.

Following his re-arrest on the firstsuperseding indictment, the United States Attorney for the EasternDistrict of New York filed a letter in support of a permanent orderof detention that previewed its case against Kelly, concluding that"preponderance of the evidence that the defendant's releaseposes a both a risk of flight and a risk of obstruction of justice".Kelly's first arraignment on the Eastern District case took placebefore a United States Magistrate Judge Steven Tiscione on August 2,2019, where he plead not guilty. Judge Tiscione denied bail, ongrounds of both dangerousness and flight risk.

Kelly's lawyers made a request forpre-trial release October 2019 and were denied. His lawyers triedagain to secure pre-trial release in 2020, citing the COVID-19pandemic; the request was denied.

Superseding indictments were filed inChicago on February 13, 2020, and in New York on March 13, 2020,raising the total number of charges to 22. He was incarcerated atMetropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago from July 11, 2019, to June23, 2021, when he was transferred to Metropolitan Detention Center,Brooklyn.

Hennepin County indictment (2019)

On August 5, 2019, the State's AttorneyOffice in Hennepin County, Minnesota charged Kelly with soliciting aminor and prostitution. Prosecutors alleged that in July 2001,following a concert in Minneapolis, Kelly had invited a girl up tohis hotel room and paid her $200 to remove her clothing and dancewith him.

Trial in the Eastern District of NewYork (2021)

Superseding Indictment, UnitedStates of America v. Robert Sylvester Kelly

The United States District Court forthe Eastern District of New York was the first federal court toindict Kelly; at the time, it was the only jurisdiction to take Kellyto trial following the charges filed in the wake of Surviving R.Kelly. Investigations continued with Kelly indicted, jailed andawaiting trial. Before trial, prosecutors previewed a growing body ofevidence including evidence of bribes and recordings of threats. Itwas a month before trial that prosecutors first accused Kelly ofabusing a male victim, an under-aged boy he met at McDonald's, aspattern evidence in his trial.

Jury trial

With Judge Ann Donnelly presiding, voirdire in United States v. Robert Sylvester Kelly was held August 9,2021. The same day, Kelly's lawyers filed a last-second motion todismiss charges related to his transmission of genital herpes toseveral of his victims; that Kelly knew of his infection andnon-disclosure to his sexual partners is a criminal act under thePublic Health Law of New York and was presented as a predicate actfor the charge of racketeering as well as the violations of the MannAct. Judge Donnelly denied the motion, releasing a written decisionafter the trial.

The federal jury trial began on August18, 2021, with opening statements by prosecution and defense lawyers.The first witness called was Jerhonda Pace, one of the subjects ofSurviving R. Kelly whose identity is widely known. She was the firstof any of Kelly's accusers to have ever testified against him incourt. Pace testified that Kelly's abuse included slapping, choking,and raping her. On cross examination, Pace was asked about signing astatement that she had deceived Kelly about her age and replied thatit was a condition of a settlement.

In all, eleven witnesses at Kelly'strial accused him of abuse either sexual or physical, with someaccusing him of both. Two accusers were men alleging Kelly hadsexually abused them as children; one ("Louis") hadrecruited the other ("Alex") and testified as acooperating witness. In addition, eight employees of Kelly's stafftestified, corroborating details of Kelly's modus operandi.

Toward the end of the testimony onSeptember 15, 2021, video corroborating accusers' accounts of abusewas shown to the jury, but not the public nor media. The videos werealluded to in later closing arguments as depicting Kelly delivering apainful spanking to one accuser, and a lengthy recording in whichKelly demanded acts of coprophagia and urophagia to humiliate anotheraccuser. As the jury deliberated, the press were allowed to listen tothe audio portions to fulfill obligations of access to evidence;accounts confirm that Kelly and his victim's voices are heardnarrating the graphic acts of abuse of the latter recording. Monthsafter the verdict, prosecutors disclosed that, following Kelly'sorders, "[a]t least three women made videos of themselveseating feces and rubbing it over their bodies."

Guilty verdicts

Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting UnitedStates Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Peter C.Fitzhugh, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations,New York (HSI), announced the guilty verdict on September 27, 2021

After a six-week trial including twodays of deliberations, on September 27, 2021, the jury returned averdict of guilty on all nine counts of the verdict sheet. Theyinclude:

One count of Racketeering (18U.S.C. § 1962(c)).

Eight Mann Act violations:

Three counts oftransportation across state lines for illegal sexual activity (18U.S.C. § 2421(a))

Four counts coercion andenticement (18 U.S.C. § 2422(a))

One count of transportationof a minor (18 U.S.C. § 2423(a)).

As described in a release by theUnited States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, theracketeering charge against Kelly specified the following predicateacts:

Racketeering Act One – Bribery

Kelly bribed a state employee tocreate an identification card for Jane Doe #1, then 15 years old, sothat Kelly could marry Jane Doe #1 because he believed she waspregnant and therefore the marriage could keep him out of jail.

Racketeering Acts Two, Seven andTen – Sexual Exploitation of a Child – Jane Doe #2, Jane Doe #4and Jane Doe #5

Kelly coerced Jane Doe #2, JaneDoe #4 and Jane Doe #5 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for thepurpose of producing video recordings. Over the course of decades, hemade these recordings, and other recordings of sexually explicitconduct, using VHS