R. Kelly Put on Suicide Watch in Wake of Conviction

R. Kelly was potentially so distraught following his conviction in his New York sex trafficking and racketeering trial that the disgraced R&B singer had to be put on suicide watch. The Chicago Tribune reports that one of Kelly’s lawyers told a federal judge of such in Chicago earlier this week. The admission comes three weeks after Kelly was found guilty of all charges. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison to life and will receive his sentence in May 2022.

His attorney Steve Greenberg said the U.S. Bureau of Prisons placed Kelly on suicide watch a while ago. The order has since been lifted. According to a source, placing a recently convicted prisoner under close watch is not uncommon. However, it’s unclear whether or not Kelly has been vocal about his desire to harm himself or anyone else. 

Kelly also wants to reconfigure a new legal team, Greenberg alleges. Leading up to the New York case heading to trial, Greenberg stepped down, with reported conflicts with another attorney in the case. He says he believes in Kelly’s innocence. He will be working as the lead counsel in Kelly’s upcoming child pornography case in Chicago. Kelly is a Chicago native and longtime resident. 

Kelly and two alleged co-conspirators, Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, are being tired in the Chicago case. The jury trial is set to begin on Aug. 1 and last an estimated three to four weeks. Some of the accusers in his New York case will be testifying again in the Chicago case. 

In his New York case, Kelly was found guilty of 12 individual illegal acts. Some include him having sex with underage girls — as well as the 1994 bribe of an Illinois government official to get a fake ID for 15-year-old singer Aaliyah so the two could get illegally married. Kelly maintains his innocence on all charges against him.