Jailed R. Kelly: He has to pay his victims millions

The convicted sex offender R. Kelly (56) has been fined tens of millions in another court case. The former music superstar has to pay six of his victims a combined $10.5 million, according to court documents. For the individual women, this results in compensation of between 1.1 (about one million euros) and 2.25 million US dollars (about two million euros).

In addition to Kelly, his former manager Donnell Russell also has to answer for this sum, it is said. The reason for the punishment: the two men are said to have tried to stop a screening of the documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly” in 2018 with a perfidious threat. First, the duo tried to intimidate the women who have their say in the documentary and the producers of the series. When that didn’t have the desired effect, Kelly and Russell threatened that “someone would shoot the place up.”

This supposed “terror threat” actually led to the event in New York City ultimately having to be cancelled. The victims then complained that the incident caused them to suffer further post-traumatic stress disorders and panic attacks. According to the report, the competent US court now agreed with them.

Never free again?

In June 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in New York City on charges of exploiting and abusing minors. In February of this year, another guilty verdict followed in Chicago for the production of child pornography and sex with minors. However, the prison sentence of 20 years pronounced there is largely offset against the previously imposed sentence. Only one more year was added to the prison sentence, and the 56-year-old will spend 31 years behind bars.