Jailed Chicago music icon R. Kelly‘s sex abuse trial coverage is nowhere close to slowing down with the latest twist coming courtesy of a former assistant. A man named Anthony Navarro came forward to spill some wild details about the troubled crooner’s past lifestyle.
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R. Kelly’s Ex-Assistant Speaks Out
According to Navarro, the singer lived in a “Twilight Zone” where he controlled all of the power for the alleged women victims staying at his home. Anthony suggested starvation was one of his tactics and used his influence to make the females feel like they had no choice but to do as he commanded.
A New York Times report also claims Navarro testified claiming many of the alleged victims weren’t given food for periods of time and weren’t allowed to leave. “There’s been times where they wanted to go but couldn’t because they couldn’t get a ride or we couldn’t get ahold of Rob.”
Aaliyah’s Fake ID Details
The testimony comes following buzz about Kelly’s controversial marriage to late singer Aaliyah in the 90’s. The biggest drama stems from how Robert and Aaliyah managed to produce a fake ID claiming she was 18 when really 15.
The third day of the trial ended with a fair amount of head-scratching as prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn began building their case against Kelly, 54. One of the things the jury heard was that the late singer Aaliyah illegally married Kelly in Chicago in 1994 when she was 15 even though marriage documents falsely said she was 18, according to testimony by a witness. (USA Today)
R. Kelly’s Lawyer Says Aaliyah Cannot Testify As A Victim Because She Is Dead
Many who watched the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary had their suspicions confirmed when the disturbing details of Aaliyah and the singer’s relationship history were revealed in the show. Now according to legal reporter, Jacob Shamsian, R. Kelly’s lawyer Nicole Blank Becker was discounting those details eligibility to stand up in court.
“Nicole Blank Becker, the attorney representing Kelly, pointed out…that while the jury may hear testimony from Aaliyah’s friends and family, Aaliyah herself could not possibly testify herself about being a victim in the case because she was dead.” (INSIDER)
Becker went on to address other indictments against Kelly such as the accusation that he bribed a government official to secure Aaliyah a fake ID in order to go through with marrying her. A marriage that is claimed to be a result of her being allegedly being pregnant.
“Becker said there’s no evidence the singer, identified as Jane Doe #1 in charging documents, was even pregnant in the first place. ‘Aaliyah, God rest her soul, passed away,’ she said, before urging jurors to hold the defense to proving she was pregnant. Becker also urged the jury to be skeptical about the fake ID story.” (INSIDER)
The Trial Begins
Earlier in the week – after months of anticipation – the R. Kelly trial started up with a lot of massive anger toward the controversial singer. Accusers have stepped up to confirm speculation and claims of sexual abuse at the hands of the 54-year-old.
Among the accusers, Jerhonda Johnson Pace was the first to testify. In 2017 Pace told Buzzfeed News that she met Kelly as a teenager, skipping school to attend Kelly’s 2008 trial in which he was cleared of child pornography charges. She largely repeated the story in court, testifying that she had sexual relationship with Kelly, even after she revealed to him that she was underage. Pace was also heavily featured in the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly, where she detailed what her life was like living with R. Kelly. (NPR)