Singer R. Kelly’s still “Trapped In The Closet” after an appeal of his two-decade-long prison sentence failed a day after disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein’s conviction was overturned.
In the 2022 trial, jurors found the musician, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, guilty on multiple charges, including three counts of child pornography production and three counts of enticing minors for sexual activities.
Kelly challenged his sentence on the grounds that the shorter statute of limitations in Illinois, which previously ran until a victim turned 25 in child sex cases, should have been applied to his case in Chicago, rather than the existing legislation which permits prosecution at any point during the accuser’s lifetime.
A ruling on Friday by the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit of Appeals dismissed Kelly’s plea, indicating he was trying to avoid accountability for his actions through “a complex scheme to keep victims quiet.”
“Our fight is not over,” Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean told TMZ on Friday, stating plans to seek a review from the Supreme Court regarding the statute of limitations.
“And he has habeas remedies at his disposal. And if we win in NY. He will be entitled to resentencing in Illinois. So this story is far from over,” Bonjean noted.
Since his arrest in July 2019, Kelly has been incarcerated, and currently resides at the Butner, North Carolina federal prison.
The R&B singer won’t taste freedom again until 2045, when he’s 78-years-old. His trial and sentencing made him one of the noteworthy celebrity figures convicted amid the #MeToo movement.
The most significant #MeToo sex pest, former mega-producer Harvey Weinstein, saw his New York criminal conviction overturned on Thursday.
“I just spoke to him two minutes ago. Harvey was crying. He was excited,” spokesperson Juda Engelmayer remarked.
“He was happy that finally somebody listened to him,” Engelmayer added. “He is waiting to hear from the attorneys and waiting to hear from the prison system what the next steps are. He’s hopeful and he’s keeping his spirits up.”
In a 4-3 decision, the appeals court found that the judge on Weinstein’s trial was found to have made a mistake in 2020, when he allowed the jury to hear testimonies from a bevy of women who had accused him of sexual assault crimes that he had not been charged with.
Despite the overturning of his New York convictions, a new trial is on the horizon, and the DA’s office is eager to secure a fresh conviction.
Weinstein is also serving a 23-year sentence in a New York facility for his crimes against actress Jessica Mann and production assistant Mimi Haley.
Despite the rape and assault charges being overturned, he is serving a 16-year sentence in from a 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles, which will ensure his continued imprisonment.
“Charmed” actress Rose McGowan, who was one of Weinstein’s most prominent accusers, posted a video response to his New York convictions being overturned on Thursday.
“They will never overturn who we are. Blessings to all who gave their all,” she stated. “No matter what they overturn, they cannot take away who we are, what we are, what we’ve gone through, and what we can achieve in this life.”
Actress Mira Sorvino had a similar sentiment about the appeals court’s decision, which has left her “disgusted with the justice system.”
Horrified!Day after #DenimDay honoring sexual violence survivors,Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned,due partly to molyneux witnesses testifying to prior bad acts,like lioness Annabella Sciorra.Since when don’t courts allow evidence of pattern of prior bad acts to be… pic.twitter.com/yIoF6u76da
— Mira Sorvino (@MiraSorvino) April 25, 2024
“Horrified! Day after #DenimDay honoring sexual violence survivors, Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned, due partly to molyneux [sic] witnesses testifying to prior bad acts, like lioness [actress] Annabella Sciorra,” Sorvino wrote.
“Since when don’t courts allow evidence of pattern of prior bad acts to be admitted? He’s a prolific serial predator who raped/harmed 200+ women! Disgusted w/justice system [skewed towards] predators not victims.”
Fellow sexual misconduct accuser Ashley Judd blasted the court’s decision during a Thursday press conference.
“When survivors tell their stories, they’re exercising a powerful form of leadership that sparks others to join in shared action that catalyzes change,” the “Kiss The Girls” star stated.
“We understand that leadership is exercising principles and values in the face of uncertainty, and that’s what we leaders and survivors do,” she added.
“This, today, is an act of institutional betrayal, and our institutions betray survivors of male sexual violence.”