The legal team representing R&B singer R. Kelly is seeking a presidential pardon, claiming grave allegations of misconduct and threats to his life while in federal custody.
The 58-year-old artist, known for hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly,” is currently incarcerated at a federal facility in Butner, North Carolina, serving sentences related to child sex crimes, racketeering, and other charges.
According to a series of court filings presented by Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, the singer has been subjected to life-threatening conditions within the prison system.
Brindley alleges that officials conspired with members of a white supremacist group to harm Kelly following his exposure of compromising information regarding prison authorities.
R. Kelly was rushed to hospital after overdosing in prison, alleging that staff intentionally gave him a life-threatening dose. (via TMZ) pic.twitter.com/hBat81beAy
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 17, 2025
It was further claimed in the filings that Kelly was administered a harmful dosage of medication by staff, which led to an overdose requiring hospitalization.
“Bureau of Prisons officials administered an amount of medication that significantly exceeded a safe dose and caused Mr. Kelly to overdose, putting his life in jeopardy,” the third supplement to an emergency motion submitted by Brindley states.
Kelly had reportedly taken his prescribed medication for anxiety and sleep but was instructed by staff to ingest an additional dosage.
Me to this R. Kelly news: pic.twitter.com/Nj1RNO2MZQ
— amanda 🩷 (@AmandaDannielle) June 17, 2025
Shortly thereafter, Kelly awoke feeling unwell, experienced vision disturbances, and lost consciousness.
He was transported to Duke University Hospital and treated for two days.
Following these events, Kelly’s attorneys accuse prison authorities of prematurely removing him from the hospital before completing critical medical procedures for blood clots in his lungs.
The filings allege this medical condition, coupled with the lack of necessary surgical intervention, poses an ongoing risk to Kelly’s life.
r.kelly is in the hospital ??? pic.twitter.com/3SeHfJvPFG
— z swing❦ (@sashasrevengee) June 17, 2025
“Mr. Kelly’s life is in jeopardy right now because the Bureau of Prisons denied him necessary surgery to clear clots from his lungs,” Brindley wrote. “He could die from this condition, and they are letting it happen.”
According to Brindley, Kelly’s safety is further threatened by his confinement in solitary custody, a situation he claims began after filing an emergency motion for temporary release on June 10.
The attorney alleges this transfer to solitary confinement was punitive and served to isolate Kelly, following his formal accusations against prison officials regarding a murder plot.
just saw that r kelly overdosed in prison LETS CROSS THEM FINGERS YALLLpic.twitter.com/NaOl8HMWTp
— dr. eden mohan (@astralcenter) June 17, 2025
“These people did overdose him. They did leave him with blood clots in his lungs and remove him from a hospital that sought to do surgery to remove them,” Brindley’s filing states.
Alongside his claims about improper medical treatment, Brindley references testimony from a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, purportedly included as evidence of the alleged murder plot orchestrated by prison authorities.
Kelly’s legal team has also reached out to President Trump, seeking executive intervention.
Brindley has reportedly engaged with people linked to the president, pursuing either a pardon or sentence commutation.
“It’s my continued work to seek the intervention of the President of the United States on Robert’s behalf,” Brindley stated.
“I believe President Trump is the one person who has the power and the will to stand up to people like this,” he added.
In Chicago, a federal jury convicted Kelly on three counts of child pornography charges in 2023, as well as three counts of enticing minors for criminal sexual activity.
This came in addition to a prior conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking in New York, for which he is serving a separate 30-year sentence.
Kelly was ordered to serve the majority of his sentences concurrently, with his current release date listed as December 21, 2045, according to official records.
Despite the severity of these convictions, government attorneys have criticized the claims outlined in Kelly’s motions, dismissing them as baseless conspiracy theories.
They have also questioned the jurisdiction of the Chicago federal court to reassess Kelly’s ongoing custody given his separate convictions in New York and Illinois.
“Kelly has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will,” wrote government attorneys in legal filings.
“Undeterred, Kelly now asks this Court to release him from incarceration indefinitely under the guise of a fanciful conspiracy.”
They further criticized the allegations against prison officials as “repugnant.”
Meanwhile, Brindley argues that keeping Kelly incarcerated under these conditions constitutes cruel punishment.
According to him, the accusations against the Bureau of Prisons represent a significant breach of duty and justify an urgent need for executive relief.
“He is not safe in federal custody,” Brindley stated. “And to keep him in prison while he is under threat like this is cruel and unusual punishment.”
He added, “Whether a pardon or commutation, we are looking for freedom for R. Kelly.”