Judge Denies R. Kelly's Request for Release

R. Kelly will remain behind bars for now.

A judge has denied the singer’s request to be released from jail on bail. According to TMZ, prosecutors say Kelly is definitely a flight risk if he gets out of jail while his criminal case is pending.

Kelly’s legal team argues that the singer’s passport does not contain a single stamp showing travel because he rarely goes outside the U.S. However, prosecutors say Kelly wanted to travel to Dubai with his two girlfriends earlier this year after he was released on bail in Illinois.

Prosecutors also refute claims that Kelly won’t tamper with or intimidate witnesses, saying the singer “has a history of coercing women to write letters containing false and embarrassing allegations” so he can use them as blackmail.

Despite claiming that he is broke, prosecutors say Kelly continues to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties for his music. The government alleges that he’s redirecting royalties to the bank account of a childhood friend, but could easily redirect the money to himself.

Kelly’s legal team reports that he has suffered health issues including numbness in one of his hands, anxiety, and an untreated hernia while he remains in a Chicago jail. However, the government has not responded to those claims.

A Chicago judge has set a trial date for April 27, 2020 in the singer’s federal case where he is accused of child pornography and obstruction of justice.