R. Kelly has claimed he is battling health problems whilst in jail.
The ‘Ignition’ hitmaker has been in jail since he was arrested on alleged sexual abuse charges in New York in July, and after initially being denied bail last month, he is now set to go back to court once again to try and have a judge clear him for release, as he claims his health is suffering behind bars.
According to TMZ, Kelly’s lawyers filed new legal documents in which they outline his various medical issues, which include numbness in one of his hands, anxiety, and an untreated hernia. The lawyers claim the 52-year-old singer is not receiving adequate medical treatment in the facility and have called the conditions of his confinement “stifling”.
Previous attempts by his legal team to have him leave solitary confinement, have borne no fruits. According to a report on The Sauce, Kelly’s lawyer Steven Greenberg filed legal documents claiming the solitary area where the singer is confined is designed for punishment and not for inmates pending trial.
Greenberg argues Kelly has no meaningful interaction with human beings and no time outside in direct sunlight. He has also claimed that his client has no access to media or recreational activities and is allowed only one 15-minute telephone call per month. Furthermore, Greenberg contends that Kelly has no face-to-face visitations that are not recorded, is only able to shower three days a week and cannot buy snacks.
According to TMZ, the documents also try to assure the judge Kelly will not be a risk if he is allowed out of prison, vowing he will not tamper with or intimidate witnesses, and will not be a flight risk.
A judge is yet to rule on his case, but he has previously been denied bail after pleading not guilty to the charges against him, pending a further trial.
The rapper is charged in New York with exploiting five victims, identified only as “Jane Does,” three of whom alleged they were minors at the time.
The case is separate to another ongoing trial in Chicago, where he was arrested in July on charges accusing him of engaging in child pornography and further sexual abuse.
In the New York indictment, Kelly is accused of running a racketeering enterprise comprised of “managers, bodyguards, drivers, personal assistants and runners for the defendant, as well as members of his entourage”, who would allegedly recruit young women for sex with the musician.
Kelly is also accused of filming the sexual activity including that with alleged underage victims, which constitutes child pornography.
The star’s not guilty plea follows a previous plea entered by the star in which he denied 13 alleged sex trafficking charges.
Earlier in September, R. Kelly was also in a legal bid after a missed court hearing. According to a report on The Sauce, a warrant of arrest was issued for singer R. Kelly in Hennepin County District Court in Minnesota for failure to appearing court. In the two-minute hearing, senior Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole said no attorney had approached her office or filed a certificate of representation for Kelly. He was facing two counts of engaging in prostitution with a person under 18 in Minnesota.
