R. Kelly Accusers Ridiculed After Lawyer Michael Avenatti Arrest

R. Kelly accusers are being ridiculed after lawyer Michael Avenatti was arrested on wire fraud and bank fraud charges.

According to The Blast, Avenatti has been representing multiple people in connection to the sexual assault case against Kelly, but now that he has been arrested in connection to a separate investigation.

The outlet cites sources who say that many of Kelly’s supporters not feel vindicated, as Avenatti has been a very vocal critic of the singer.

The Blast goes on to cite allegations that Avenatti attempted to extort Nike over the accusations against Kelly, reportedly telling the company that “90% of the time” the claims of assault victims are “always bulls—.”

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York have since issued a statement on the case against Avenatti.

In the statement prosecutors accuse him “attempting to extract more than $20 million in payments from a publicly traded company by threatening to use his ability to garner publicity to inflict substantial financial and reputational harm on the company if his demands were not met.”

Additionally, the criminal complaint filed against Avenatti in New York states that he “devised a scheme to extort a company by means of an interstate communication by threatening to damage the company’s reputation if the company did not agree to make multi-million dollar payments to Avenatti and [co-conspirator], and further agree to pay an additional $1.5 million to a client of Avenatti’s.”

This is not the first that Avenatti has been accused of questionable behavior when it comes to finances, as a former lawyer at Avenatti’s firm named Jason Frank filed legal paperwork accusing Avenatti of hiding millions of dollars from the court that oversaw a previous bankruptcy filing by his firm, Eagan Avenatti.

Avenatti has since been released from police custody, after two other individuals co-signed a $300,000 bond for the attorney.

R. Kelly does not appear to have commented on Avenatti’s arrest, but his lawyer Steve Greenberg did make a comment about hearing that Avenatti “needs a good lawyer.”