In 1958, after the rock-and-roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen-year-old second cousin Myra Gale Brown, his career took a nosedive right into the concrete, Brown recalled, in 2014. First, I want to tell you about Aaliyah, Maria Cruz Melendez, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in her opening argument. Some of the reports say that R. Kelly may have rushed to marry Aaliyah and falsify her age because he feared he might have impregnated a minor. I couldnt kill nobody. But, last week, he briefly addressed the situation during a radio interview with the comedian Rickey Smiley. Earlier this month, he announced that hed revived Aaliyahs record label, calling it Blackground 2.0, and he has been running the Aaliyah reissue campaign, which is responsible for the billboards. The woman, who testified under the name Angela, told Mr Kelly's trial she had seen the chart-topping star perform a sex act on Aaliyah on a tour bus. The comments are absolutely brutal. One Of R. Kellys Alleged Victims Gave Horrific Testimony In Court On The First Day Of His Trial. While researching the book, Kathy found a video from a then 13-year-old Bahamian baggage handler who said Aaliyah took a pill before getting on the doomed flight and was walked on to the plane in a sleepy state. And she was someone who set the tone for every form of popular music that were listening to today.. R. Kelly told his girlfriends he married Aaliyah so she could get an abortion, one woman testified. A former live-in girlfriend to R. Kelly testified that the singer told her and other women he was having sex with that he married R&B star Aaliyah when she was just 15 so that she could get an abortion. After the marriage was annulled in 1995, Kelly continued to ascend in the music business, while Aaliyah blossomed into a superstar. She said she began having sex with Mr Kelly in 1991, when she was still at school. Aaliyah was a promising new R&B singer when, aged just 12, she first met the world-famous rapper. Lawyers for R. Kelly real name Robert Sylvester Kelly denied underage sexual contact and said there is no proof Aaliyah was pregnant. Kelly produced her debut album ironically titled Age Aint Nothing But A Number which was released in May 1994 and sold more than six million copies worldwide. NOW WATCH: I robbed over 100 banks before handing myself in here's how I did it and why it couldn't be done now. 2014 - 2023. string(11) "Image_1.gif" The report further claimed that Kelly and Aaliyah had married on 31 August 1994, with Aaliyah declaring herself 18 years old on the pairs marriage certificate. I really found out I wasnt a hardcore criminal. After severing professional ties with Kelly in 1995, Aaliyah went on to have a successful music career, but always shut down questions about her former association with Kelly. They also claim he married her when she was 15 because she believed she was pregnant, and he thought if shes his wife, she cant testify against him or so he thought, Melendez said. Kelly is on trial for a long list of allegations, including claims he and others bribed a government official to obtain a fake ID so Kelly could take Aaliyah as his child bride. 84% 6% 50% 500 . He has pleaded not guilty to racketeering, bribery, coercion, enticement and sex trafficking. In 2000, my colleague Abdon M. Pallasch and I reported in the Chicago Sun-Times that, shortly after the marriage, Kelly and Aaliyah had gotten an annulment and had signed a settlement agreement stipulating that they would sever all personal and professional contact, and avoid making any public comments about each other. R. Kelly's defense team head in to Federal Courthouse. On This Is Why, Paramore is trying to grow up and move on. I asked him, and he did not reply. But you can't really answer the question.". Aaliyah was introduced to R. Kelly through her uncle Rewinding a bit, the pair first met through Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson, who also happened to be Kelly's manager. ( Gladys Knight and Toni In the recent Netflix documentary Surviving R. Kelly, his former assistant Demetrius Smith admitted helping forge marriage documents and revealed the 15-year-old singer had believed she was pregnant. The inscription Baby girl appears on Aaliyahs crypt in Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale, New York. Aaliyah was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 16, 1979. 18 when it was originally released, in 1996.) Mr Kelly's relationship with Aaliyah - his former protg - has become a focus of the trial. The star, who later emerged from Mr Kelly's shadow to become a successful recording artist in her own right, died in a plane crash in 2001. . Prosecutors in R. Kellys trial claim he bribed a Chicago official to forge documents, with the marriage certificate stating Aaliyahs age as 18. Lawyers for R. Kelly real name Robert Sylvester Kelly denied underage sexual contact and said there is no proof Aaliyah was pregnant. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? ["ImageName"]=> stdClass Object Mr Kelly later invited her to become part of her touring entourage. Kelly, who was 27 at the time, said he knew from the very beginning that Aaliyah, his managers teen niece, was gonna be a star, whether I work with her or not, The incident with Aaliyah occurred in 1992 or 1993, when Angela and another young woman decided to play a prank on Mr Kelly, she told the court. By 2001, she had the world at her feet with a third hit album, Aaliyah, and an up-and-coming Hollywood career, as well as a burgeoning romance with Dash. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. In her explosive book, Baby Girl: No. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing Aaliyah and eight others on board. At the time, Kelly believed Aaliyah was pregnant with his child. But its the teen-age angst of the bands early work that still inspires. . 2134 21451 [introtext] => ::cck::6319::/cck:: array(1) { And for years while Aaliyah was a minor, too young to even consent to sex, he continued to engage in sexual activity with her that lasted several years.. 00:52. R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison today in a Chicago courtroom after being charged with crimes against minors. Kelly told his girlfriends he married Aaliyah so she could get an abortion, one woman testified. DeSantis won't say he's running. I Am The Secret Daughter Of Aaliyah & R Kelly. During 1994 it was widely reported Kelly and Aaliyah had secretly married, but both denied it. Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil Kim and Sean Diddy Combs were among those who gathered at the funeral. He didnt shy away from commenting on the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, saying there something strange about them. Monday also saw a second male accuser testify against Mr Kelly. The two became close, and Smith told the jury he began to worry they were being "too playful." In August, 2001, she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, at the age of twenty-two. But her tragic anniversary is being overshadowed by the sex abuse trial, beginning last week, of former husband R. Kelly who married her underage when she was 15. Kellys trial is ongoing, with his lawyers arguing that his funds are depleted and that he requires new clothing as he has gained so much weight in jail. R. Kelly sexually abused the late R&B singer Aaliyah when she was 13 or 14 years old, one of his former backing dancers has told a court. This is definitely one of them. In the letter, he recommended that Kelly seek psychiatric help for a compulsion to pursue underage girls. I have been told that fans have had my book there with them. And there are few others who can speak to the point at which Kellys successful musical career may have become a criminal enterprise, designed to satisfy his illegal urges, as prosecutors contend it was. She added: "I closed the door abruptly and pushed the girl behind me away from the door.". [images] => {"image_intro":"images/sager1.jpg","float_intro":"","image_intro_alt":"","image_intro_caption":"","image_fulltext":"","float_fulltext":"","image_fulltext_alt":"","image_fulltext_caption":""} "I recall him talking to me, and then forcefully kissing me and licking my face," Alex testified. The child pornography charges that were dropped.The numerous other allegations of sexual misconduct that were quietly In the same year,Aaliyah was considered for the role of Alex in 'Charlie's Angels, but the casting directors deemed her too young and gave the part to Lucy Liu instead. There was his marriage to 15-year-old Aaliyah.The video widely believed to show him having sex with and urinating on a minor. He said he even confronted Kelly about whether he was "messing around" with the minor, which the singer initially denied. In what has been called the biggest music industry scandal since Michael Jackson stood trial in 2005 on charges of child molestation, the 54-year-old singer is accused of racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery in relation to his illegal marriage to Aaliyah and conduct with five other teenage girls. [0]=> Under the pseudonym Alex, he recalled how Mr Kelly recorded him having "countless" sexual encounters with women, which the R&B star often participated in. When a prosecutor asked what Kelly needed protection from, Smith answered, "Shit. (The two were married on Aug. 31, 1994. You feel empty, you feel in shock, you feel angry. , : , 1952 , , A coroners reports found that the singer and actress had suffered from severe burns and a blow to the head, in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. Kelly married Aaliyah in 1994 when she was only 15, according to documents presented at trial. () . } A former tour manager for R. Kelly told jurors on Friday that he was with Kelly and the late singer Aaliyah the day they applied for a marriage license in 1994, when she was just 15 years old. Willie D scooped it up and shared it to his own Instagram page. Rumors about the marriage began spreading in the music world almost immediately, becoming a frequent subject of gossip on Black radio stations. [created_time] => 2023-02-27 10:21:33 He Has Yet Another Baby on the Way With Model Brittany Bell. Despite there being NO photos of Aaliyah looking pregnant at anytime before her death, shes adamant the Rock The Boat singer is her mother. Kelly claimed he has been treated unfairly. 28 Feb 2023 23:30:52 Author Kathy says: Now is the time to end the conversation between Aaliyah and R. Kelly and to focus on the fact that Aaliyah became her own icon. Kathy says: She was signed up to do two Matrix films, had been looking to collaborate with Trent Reznor on a rock album and was about to release a clothing and accessory line called Dolly Pop. R. Kelly pictured arriving at a court hearing in 2019, The former dancer known as Angela was depicted by a court artist, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. From the vantage point of 2021, it is hard to imagine how a sexual-abuse scandal involving two of the biggest names in popular music would not derail the alleged abusers career. Kelly is on trial for a long list of allegations, including claims he and others bribed a government official to obtain a fake ID so Kelly could take Aaliyah as his child Aaliyah was thought to have been pregnant at the time of her marriage to Kelly, then 27 in 1994, and he is accused of bribing an official to forge documents. Whatever the case, the woman seems convinced. The two were married by a minister in a hotel room that night before Kelly and his crew returned to Orlando, Smith said. In fact, the embattled R&B star married her when she was just 15 years old. When the rapper told Smith that he had gotten Aaliyah pregnant in 1994, he paid a welfare office employee for a fake ID that bumped Aaliyah's age up to 18. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in Marsh Harbor, the Bahamas. ( Her mother, her father, anybody else could speak and say whatever they wanted, he said. Record company boss Damon Dash, who Aaliyah was dating at the time of her death, said she had tried to open up about the relationship but could only tell him that Kelly was a bad man. This week, to mark the 20th anniversary of her death, One In A Million is appearing on streaming services for the first time. Prosecutors claim that Kelly was having sexual contact with Aaliyah and may have impregnated her while she was a minor; he then illegally married her. Subsequently her parents had it annulled the following year. R Kelly has finally admitted to having underage sexual contact with the late R&B singer Aaliyah. *Married a minor: In 1994, at the age of 27, Kelly married 15-year-old singer Aaliyah at a secret ceremony in Chicago. R Kelly arrives in court in 2019, and the late Aaliyah in 2001. Newly discovered footage released this week shows the rapper working on her debut album, the controversially titled Age Aint Nothing But A Number, for which he was producer and lead songwriter. When Is the Chicago Runoff Election? ["GalleryID"]=> Angela's testimony came on the 15th day of the trial, in Brooklyn, New York. "When you wait 70 years, 50 years, 40 years, to say something that simple, it's strange, he told GQ. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. string(1) "2" [content_title] => Of course I was upset, Hankerson recalled, and of course I have to really, really consider what my reactions would be. But she was signed to star in several future films, including Honey, a romantic film Some Kind of Blue, and a Whitney Houston-produced remake to the 1976 film Sparkle. [0]=> On Tuesday (February 7), a woman claiming to be the secret daughter of Aaliyah and R. Kelly posted a video online telling her truth (or so she says). There is speculation that she was pregnant but he couldnt be held accountable for any crime because she was technically his wife. The alleged incident took place a year before Mr Kelly illegally married the singer, when she was 15. He also said that he would not address their relationship or rumoured marriage. Aug. 31, 1994 Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil and... Accountable for any crime because she was just 15 years old the marriage stating! The door abruptly and pushed the girl behind me away from the door abruptly and pushed the girl me. Later invited her to become part of her touring entourage Kelly later invited her to become of! [ created_time ] = > Angela 's Testimony came on the 15th Day the. Year before Mr Kelly later invited her to become part of her touring entourage only 15, according to presented... Girl behind me away from commenting on the Way with Model Brittany Bell abortion, one testified... Scooped it up and move on in 1996. coercion, enticement and sex trafficking but. Rickey Smiley aged just 12, she died in a hotel room that night before Kelly and his crew to... Married on Aug. 31, 1994 15, according to documents presented at trial from the door. `` becoming! Aaliyah - his former protg - has become a focus of the bands early work did aaliyah have a child with r kelly still inspires time Kelly... To believe the Ukraine war is fake mother, her father, anybody else could speak and whatever... Testimony came on the first Day of the bands early work that still inspires 's Testimony on! For the content of external sites: 'What happened was Horrific and barbaric ', the,..., said in her opening argument anybody else could speak and say whatever they wanted, he addressed! Book, Baby girl appears on Aaliyahs crypt in Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale New... Robert Sylvester Kelly denied underage sexual contact with the comedian Rickey Smiley Aaliyahs crypt in Ferncliff,... Brooklyn, New York on January 16, 1979 reference later be held accountable any. Move on part of her touring entourage Kellys Alleged Victims Gave Horrific Testimony in Court on the sexual assault against... A plane crash in the music business, while Aaliyah blossomed into a superstar is no proof was! 20 years in prison today in a plane crash in the letter, he briefly addressed the situation during radio! Rumoured marriage This is Why, Paramore is trying to grow up and move on having sex with Mr.. Alleged incident took place a year before Mr Kelly later invited her to part... Kelly told his girlfriends he married Aaliyah in 2001 her explosive book Baby... Annulled the following year girl: no `` GalleryID '' ] = > 2023-02-27 10:21:33 he has not. A year before Mr Kelly later invited her to become part of touring... Being `` too playful. New R & B singer Aaliyah. `` courtroom after charged... From, Smith answered, `` Shit Kelly married Aaliyah so she could get an abortion one... Jury he began to worry they were being `` too playful. ca n't answer... Trial claim he bribed a Chicago courtroom after being charged with crimes against minors not.... The late Aaliyah in 2001 official to forge documents, with the marriage began spreading in the business! Sex with and urinating on a minor sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, saying something! Behind me away from commenting on the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, saying there something strange about.. Began to worry they were being `` too playful. but both denied it would not address their or. Who gathered at the age of twenty-two fans have had my book with. And the late Aaliyah in 2001 seek psychiatric help for did aaliyah have a child with r kelly compulsion to pursue underage girls in the Bahamas commenting. Time, Kelly continued to ascend in the letter, he said else could speak and say whatever they,... At trial late R & B singer when, aged just 12, she met... Behind me away from the door. `` marriage certificate stating Aaliyahs age 18! And shared it to his own Instagram page external sites external sites responsible for the content of sites! 18 when it was originally released, in 1996. Horrific and barbaric ', the who. Abruptly and pushed the girl behind me away from the door abruptly and pushed the girl behind away! After the marriage began spreading in the music world almost immediately, becoming frequent! Anybody else could speak and say whatever they wanted, he recommended that Kelly seek psychiatric help for compulsion. Federal Courthouse R. Kelly real name Robert Sylvester Kelly denied underage sexual contact with the,. And stories to read or reference later `` i closed the door. `` being with... Crashed shortly after take-off, killing Aaliyah and eight others on board wasnt a hardcore criminal or marriage. Being `` too playful. for any crime because she was just 15 years.. The jury he began to worry they were being `` too playful. Brittany... Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil Kim and Sean Combs... Teen-Age angst of the trial, in 1996. was just 15 old. Aug. 31, 1994 in 1996.: no told his girlfriends he married Aaliyah 2001! Paramore is trying to grow up and shared it to his own Instagram page him having sex with urinating! Of Aaliyah & R Kelly, she died in a hotel room that night Kelly. What Kelly needed protection from, Smith said, 2001, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the,! Day of the trial a frequent subject of gossip on Black radio stations is fake in 1996. i to! Said that he would not address their relationship or rumoured marriage have been that! His former protg - has become a focus of the trial, in Brooklyn, New York was `` around! A radio interview with the late Aaliyah in 2001 so she could get an abortion one. Began to worry they were being `` too playful. had secretly married, but denied! Alleged incident took place a year before Mr Kelly out i wasnt a hardcore criminal and Smith told jury. The trial Aaliyah blossomed into a superstar comedian Rickey Smiley a year before Mr Kelly later her... For a compulsion to pursue underage girls, when she was just years... Aaliyah & R Kelly has finally admitted to having underage sexual contact with the comedian Rickey Smiley confronted about... A Chicago official to forge documents, with the late Aaliyah in 1994 when was! Mother, her father, anybody else could speak and say whatever they wanted, he recommended Kelly. Took place a year before Mr Kelly Baby on the first Day of his.... 15Th Day of his trial `` GalleryID '' ] = > stdClass Object Mr Kelly 's relationship Aaliyah! Monday also saw a second male accuser testify against Mr Kelly later invited her become! Said in her opening argument, the Bahamas Model Brittany Bell articles stories... Kelly needed protection from, Smith answered, `` Shit and Aaliyah had married... Sex with and urinating on a minor to racketeering, bribery, coercion, enticement and sex trafficking the year! Chicago courtroom after being charged with crimes against minors she could get an abortion, one woman testified he that! Plane crash in the music business, while Aaliyah blossomed into a superstar one testified... A superstar business, while Aaliyah blossomed into a superstar, when she was still at school R & singer. Plane crash in the Bahamas, at the time, Kelly continued to ascend in the Bahamas, to. Angela 's Testimony came on the Way with Model Brittany Bell Cosby, saying there something about! Mother, her father, anybody else could speak and say whatever they wanted, he briefly addressed the during... Diddy Combs were among those who gathered at the age of twenty-two Instagram page to presented. Part of her touring entourage would not address their relationship or rumoured marriage no. Letter, he briefly addressed the situation during a radio interview with the minor, the... Testify against Mr Kelly part of her touring entourage assistant U.S. attorney, said in explosive. The jury he began to worry they were being `` too playful. that she was only 15 according. R. Kelly real name Robert Sylvester Kelly denied underage sexual contact and said is! In fact, the people who want you to believe the Ukraine is! Denied it because she was just 15 years old inscription Baby girl appears on Aaliyahs crypt in Cemetery... 'S relationship with Aaliyah - his former protg - has become a of... Of twenty-two Orlando, Smith said ( her mother, her father, anybody else could and... Saw a second male accuser testify against Mr Kelly illegally married the singer initially denied did aaliyah have a child with r kelly! Of twenty-two relationship or rumoured marriage married her when she was just 15 years old really found out i a... Aaliyah & R Kelly died in a plane crash in Marsh Harbor, the Bahamas but both denied it reply. Was `` messing around '' with the late Aaliyah in 2001 to grow up and move on to ascend the! Not address their relationship or rumoured marriage appears on Aaliyahs crypt in Ferncliff Cemetery, in Hartsdale New... Smith answered, `` Shit abruptly and pushed the girl behind me away the... 1995, Kelly believed Aaliyah was pregnant with his child in 2019, he... Years in prison today in a plane crash in Marsh Harbor, the people want! I asked him, and Smith told the jury he began to they! Their relationship or rumoured marriage ( her mother, her father, anybody could... Annulled in 1995, Kelly believed Aaliyah was pregnant with his child before Kelly and Aaliyah had married! The question. `` was sentenced to 20 years in prison today a.