STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

R. Kelly Just Confirmed This Career Update In New Post-Court Interview, And It May Surprise You...

Sources previously reported that Kelly's music was keeping him from suffering a mental breakdown.

It looks like those reports regarding R. Kelly and his musical therapy turned out to be true, according to his latest statements in an impromptu interview.

The charged sexual predator’s legal tribulations have become mountainous over the past three months. After standing against 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse and failure to pay child support—both of which landed him in Chicago’s Cook County jail—Kelly appeared before a judge on Wednesday (March 13) to request a reduction in his child support payments. According to CBS Chicago, Kelly argued that he’s not currently working and therefore can’t afford the reported $21,000 monthly payments.

Kelly wasn’t able to share any information on the court’s proceedings after the hearing, but in a post-court interview with the media, he did confirm something else in the pipeline: new music.

  • In a video showing his courtroom exit, reporters asked about whether he was successful in earning the reduced payments…

    Kelly simply replied, “Can’t talk.” This was his same response to reports about the additional money he owed to his ex-wife, Andrea Kelly. Kelly did have an answer to a fan’s inquiry about if he was working on new music, though, which was yelled from the sidelines as he walked away from the courtroom. “Yes, I am,” he responded before the clip ends.

  • Though Kelly said he couldn’t talk about the child support info, CBS Chicago’s report on the hearing filled in some of the holes, anyway

    The site reports that both his attorney, Steve Greenberg, and publicist, Darryl Johnson, argued that his blackballing from concerts, tour venues and streaming services had a direct effect on his alleged inability to make the monthly child support payments. “If you can’t play a show, if you can’t go out on tour, if they’re not streaming your music anymore, obviously you’re going to have financial problems,” Greenberg reportedly said. “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.”

    Johnson added to this, claiming Kelly’s assets have also dried up, including his Trump Tower residence (which he cannot sell because he’s currently renting it). Johnson alleged that he and Kelly’s defense team are even working pro bono for him, the site states. “None of it makes sense” because his two eldest children are 20 and 21, while his youngest child is 17 (soon to be 18), Johnson reportedly said of the current child support payment amount. But CBS Chicago points out that the child support payment amount was already stipulated under the terms of his 2009 divorce. 

  • Additionally, the details of his hearing were allegedly closed off to the public, but CBS Chicago reports that his lawyers stated that his next hearing is scheduled for May 8 and that no alterations in the payments are currently underway.

    See Kelly’s post-court interview regarding the hearing and new music below: 

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.