R. Kelly is reportedly fearing for his life after his attorney, Beau Brindley, stated the Federal Correctional Institute prison staff gave him too much medication, causing a “near-fatal overdose”. The singer, 58, takes prescription drugs for anxiety and a sleep disorder. After receiving his routine medication from prison staff, Kelly says he began to feel faint, dizzy, and black spots appeared in his vision. He got up from his bed, fell to the floor, and crawled to the cell door, where he lost consciousness. Prison medical staff were unable to treat him, so he was rushed to Duke University Hospital.
At the hospital, doctors discovered Kelly had blood clots in his legs and lungs, which required surgery to remove. The surgery was scheduled, but shortly after, his attorney stated, “Within an hour, officers with guns came into his hospital room and removed Mr. Kelly. He was taken from the hospital against his will and against the directives of doctors.” This aggressive move further put Kelly’s life in danger. Doctors recommended a seven-day hospitalization period but he was removed from the hospital after two days, and no surgery was performed.
Allegedly, prison staff propositioned an Aryan Brotherhood gang member, Mikeal Glenn Stine, who has terminal cancer, with the opportunity to be released if he killed Kelly. Stine supposedly told Kelly about the plot, which set everything into motion.
Kelly’s attorneys say he was placed in solitary confinement on June 10 after complaining about the murder plot against him. This move outraged his attorneys as they were reportedly unable to interact with their client. Attorney Beau Brindley stated in documents filed, “That makes no sense. He is being housed in the same solitary confinement conditions as inmates who commit the acts of prison violence that he fears.” While in solitary confinement, Kelly complained it was infested with spiders that crawled on him while he tried to sleep. He also allegedly went days without eating, fearing his food might contain poison, and he was denied peanut butter and crackers he purchased using his commissary money.
The Bureau of Prisons spokesperson released a statement saying, “For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including medical and health-related issues.”
Over the last several days, Kelly’s attorneys have filed numerous motions on his behalf. The alleged overdose occurred on June 13, just days after he was told about the murder plot. Kelly also said that while on the way to the hospital, he heard a prison officer say, “This is going to open a whole new can of worms.”
Brindley is desperately working in what he’s calling a fight to save his client’s life. He’s filed multiple motions requesting a temporary furlough for home detention. He’s also reached out to President Trump regarding a pardon for Kelly.
Federal prosecutors are against the request saying, “Kelly is a prolific child molester.” They went on to say, “He is unapologetic about it. Kelly has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will.” Prosecutors are calling claims made by R. Kelly’s legal team “fanciful” and “theatrical.”
R. Kelly was sentenced in two separate federal cases. The first was held in New York, and on September 27, 2021, he was convicted of sexual exploitation of children, forced labor, racketeering, and sex trafficking. On June 29, 2022, Judge Ann Donnelly sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
In 2022, the Chicago trial was held. Kelly was then found guilty on three counts of producing child sexual abuse imagery and three counts of child enticement. He received a 20-year prison sentence with 19 years running concurrently with the New York sentence, and only 1 year is consecutive. This resulted in a 31-year total prison sentence.
An upcoming hearing has been scheduled for June 20. A judge will then decide whether Kelly will be granted home confinement pending a full investigation.