R. Kelly's Former Lawyer Says He Was 'Guilty as Hell'
R. Kelly’s former lawyer is speaking out against him.
Ed Genson, a well-known Chicago criminal defense attorney, represented the singer during his six-year trial, in which he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.
In a recent interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, the 77-year-old, who has terminal cancer and had been given 90 days to live by doctors, says that Kelly was guilty as charged.
“He was guilty as hell!” said Genson. “I don’t think he’s done anything inappropriate for years. I’ll tell you a secret: I had him go to a doctor to get shots, libido-killing shots. That’s why he didn’t get arrested for anything else.”
During an emotional interview with Gayle King this week, the R&B superstar maintained his innocence. When asked if Kelly is tampering with the jury by going on television, Genson said “he is,” adding, “I’m trying to figure out why he did it. I don’t know whether his lawyer is an idiot. He might be.”
Kelly’s current lawyer, Steven A. Greenberg, insists he is not trying to affect potential jurors. “R. Kelly is a grown man who can respond to these allegations as he sees fit,” said Greenberg. “He didn’t talk about the charges, he didn’t talk about cases, he generalized allegations that he is some kind of monster running a cult…This case is so far off in the future; who knows when a trial is going to be? I don’t think anyone is trying to tamper or influence the jury. This is not something being orchestrated as some kind of defense trick.”
Kelly, who was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse last month, avoided prison time, but Genson denies enabling him. “I didn’t facilitate him. He had already done what he’d done,” he said. “I did facilitate him in the sense I kept him out of trouble for 10 years. I was vetting his records. I listened to them, which ones would make a judge mad.”
Additionally, Genson claims he was instrumental in influencing Kelly’s records including his 2002 hit “Ignition.” “I was riding in the car, listening to a song and said, ‘Are you crazy? This is all I need.’ He re-wrote it.”
After hearing the song, Genson told Kelly to change the lyrics. “It’s a song related to a guy driving around in a car with his girlfriend,” he added. “It was originally a high school instructor in a class teaching people how to drive a car. I changed the words.”
While he acknowledges his talent as a songwriter, he says Kelly is “not a very bright person” and thought he was invincible after being acquitted of his original charges.
“What he doesn’t understand is this: If you win a case with somebody, they think they’re bulletproof,” said Genson. “You’re almost better off, sort of, losing. He thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants. He has done everything he can to hurt himself.”