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R. Kelly Will Reportedly Plead Not Guilty To Bribery Charge Stemming From His Marriage To Aaliyah

R. Kelly’s former tour manager Demetrius Smith recently admitted he obtained a fake ID for the singer.

Last week, prosecutors hit the currently incarcerated R. Kelly with a new indictment for allegedly bribing an Illinois state official to obtain a falsified identification document, according to the Chicago Tribune.

  • The document in question forged that late R&B songstress Aaliyah was 18 years old when, in reality, she was 15 years old. Kelly was 27 at the time. The union was later annulled by Aaliyah’s parents. The Chicago Tribune reported that prosecutors procured the alleged marriage certificate, which has since been turned over to the court as evidence against Kelly in his ongoing case.

  • The allegation was revisited in Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries wherein the singer’s former tour manager Demetrius Smith admitted to carrying out the deed on Kelly’s behalf. Smith recently confirmed to TMZ that he would be testifying against Kelly in court, although he had his own reservations. He told TMZ that he felt the media was unfairly painting the R&B figure as a villain and that Kelly needed mental help. 

  • According to a new report published in The Blast on Thursday (Dec. 12), Kelly plans to fight the charge. His intentions were conveyed by his lawyer, Steve Greenberg, who told the court that he had recently spoke to Kelly about the latest charge. It’s not clear how Kelly plans to challenge his latest charge, especially in light of Smith’s admission.

  • R. Kelly has remained behind bars since he was taken in custody of Chicago law authorities in July. He has continued to maintain his innocence throughout his court proceedings as he faces multiple counts relating to the sexual abuse of minors across three different states. 

    The 52-year-old will go to trial for his Chicago case on April 27, 2020.

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