A former R. Kelly employee testified as a key witness at the trial. According to the accounts, a government official was bribed so that Kelly could marry Aaliyah, a minor.
In the abuse trial against R. Kelly, a long-time employee of the R’n’B star described details about his relationship with the then underage singer Aaliyah. In a dramatic New York court hearing on Friday, Kelly’s former tour director Demetrius Smith testified that he bribed a government official in 1994 to obtain fake ID for Aaliyah. On this basis, the then 27-year-old Kelly was able to marry the only 15-year-old singer.
“I walked into the youth welfare office and said, ‘Hey, you want to make some money?'” Said Smith, who had worked for Kelly for more than ten years. He then gave an employee of the office 500 dollars (around 430 euros today) and in return received proof of identity for Aaliyah with a fake date of birth. Kelly then canceled his current tour and flew to Chicago to marry Aaliyah. The marriage was later annulled.
Key witness in the trial of R. Kelly receives impunity
The idea of marrying Aaliyah came to Kelly and some of his employees because the singer had declared she was pregnant, said Smith. Kelly was therefore afraid of having to go to jail. He himself initially appealed to Kelly not to marry Aaliyah. Kelly then put pressure on him, which is why he was afraid of being pushed out of his inner circle.
Smith, now 65, is a key witness in the Kelly trial. In return for his testimony, he was assured of impunity. When asked by the court, Smith reacted irritably on Friday. “I feel like I’m on trial,” he said. He was also “uncomfortable” with the fact that “Aaliyah was being talked about all the time” without her parents being present.
R. Kelly pleads not guilty
Aaliyah, whose real name was Aaliyah Haughton, died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22. Her debut album “Age Ain’t Nothin ‘But a Number” was produced by Kelly.
Kelly, now 54, has been on trial this week for, among other things, organized crime, extortion and the sexual exploitation of a child. According to the indictment, Kelly was systematically “recruiting” young girls to have sex with the singer of world hits like “I Believe I Can Fly”. The musician with the real name Robert Sylvester Kelly denies all allegations and has pleaded not guilty. The process will continue on Monday.
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