R. Kelly accuser testifies he sexually abused her 'hundreds' of times when she was under 18
In R. Kelly's latest criminal trial, a woman has testified the disgraced R&B singer sexually abused her "hundreds" of times when she was under 18.
The 37-year-old woman, using the pseudonym Jane, told jurors that it was her on an infamous tape that allegedly shows Kelly sexually abusing an underage girl, and she said she was 14 at the time, The Associated Press reports. Kelly's 2008 trial on child pornography charges, which ended in his acquittal, centered around that tape.
Kelly is now accused of conspiring to obstruct justice by rigging that trial, and the woman reportedly told jurors she previously lied to a grand jury by saying it wasn't her in the video. But she says she was assured that "if I correct my mistakes by telling the truth, I won't be prosecuted," CNN reports. The woman did not testify in Kelly's 2008 trial, which likely prevented a guilty verdict.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Jane testified that Kelly was seen giving her money in the video because "he wanted it to appear as if I was a prostitute" if the tape leaked, per AP. She also testified she was sexually abused by Kelly "hundreds" of times before turning 18 and that they first had intercourse when she was 15.
Kelly is also charged with enticing minors and producing and receiving child pornography, and prosecutors say he sexually abused four other victims when they were underage. He has pleaded not guilty. Kelly was already convicted on all counts in a previous sex trafficking trial and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
11 hotels opening in 2026 to help you reconnect with natureThe Week Recommends Find peace on the beaches of Mexico and on a remote Estonian island
-
Zimbabwe’s driving crisisUnder the Radar Southern African nation is experiencing a ‘public health disaster’ with one of the highest road fatality rates in the world
-
The Mint’s 250th anniversary coins face a whitewashing controversyThe Explainer The designs omitted several notable moments for civil rights and women’s rights
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
