It’s been more than a decade since R. Kelly has been tried criminally in the child pornography case where he was acquitted of in 2008. But that changes today, Aug. 18, 2021.
The chart-topping singer responsible for hits like “I Believe I Can Fly,” “Bump N’ Grind,” “Your Body’s Callin’,” “Gotham City,” “Ignition (Remix),” “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time” and “The World’s Greatest,” has been accused of sexual abuse of women and underaged girls, including a relationship and alleged, illegal marriage to singer, Aaliyah.
Below are five things you need to know as Kelly’s fate plays out in the long-anticipated trial.
The charges
Kelly faces one charge of racketeering based on the sexual exploitation of children. He is also facing charges of kidnapping, forced labor and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits the transportation of an individual across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.
His relationship and alleged marriage to Aaliyah
The racketeering charge allows prosecutors to bring up Kelly’s much-publicized marriage to Aaliyah. Kelly and Aaliyah worked together when he was 27-years-old. She was 15. In addition to earning credit as the Executive Producer on her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, he named it. Prosecutors are expected to argue that he bribed an Illinois official to procure a fake ID for Aaliyah that listed her as 18 so they could get married.
Who will testify?
Six unnamed women are at the center of the trial. Just like it played out on the docuseries, “Surviving R. Kelly,” the disgraced singer will be accused of physically and psychologically manipulating the women. It will also be argued by the prosecution that he controlled them in various ways, including when they could eat and use the bathroom.
The makeup of the jurors
The jury is made up of an anonymous 12-person jury that includes seven men and five women. All were seated and sworn in last Wednesday, Aug. 11. The racial makeup of the jurors is unknown, but many of them shared details about themselves during the in-person selection, including a mother of two school-aged children, a fraud investigator and a woman with several incarcerated family members.
How long the trial will last
The trial is expected to last at least one month and will not be televised. Media and the public will be able to watch the trial from an overflow room in the courthouse.
