R. Kelly’s Prison Release Request Denied + A Timeline of ALL the Singer’s Legal Woes

R&B singer R. Kelly just took another legal L — this time after a judge shot down his explosive claims that prison officials were plotting to kill him.

Kelly, who’s serving time for sex trafficking and child exploitation charges, asked for an emergency release from prison, alleging a conspiracy by officials at Butner federal prison in North Carolina. He claimed guards enlisted white supremacists to target him, dosed him with drugs, and forced him into solitary confinement.

In a five-page ruling, the Chicago federal judge denied Kelly’s bid for temporary furlough, writing that the court simply lacked the legal power to intervene — especially without any hard evidence.

“Jurisdictional limitations must be respected even where, as here, a litigant claims that the circumstances are extraordinary,” Pacold wrote. She ruled that there was no statute that gave her the authority to grant such a request.

Government attorneys labeled Kelly’s filing a “fanciful conspiracy” — one the judge agreed lacked proof.

A Fall From the Top

Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, the 58-year-old artist once dominated the charts with hits like “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Ignition (Remix).” But after multiple high-profile trials, Kelly was convicted in New York (2021) of racketeering and sex trafficking, and again in Chicago (2022) for child sexual abuse images and enticing minors.

He’s now serving simultaneous 20- and 30-year sentences at Butner.

Desperate Moves, Denied

Kelly’s lawyers have tried nearly everything: failed appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, lobbying for a pardon from Donald Trump, and now pushing sensational claims about alleged prison plots.

In court, they alleged Kelly had been overdosed on medication, required surgery for blood clots, and remains at risk inside the facility.

For now, the judge has made it clear: Kelly’s staying put.

📅 R. Kelly Legal Timeline

1994

• Marriage to Aaliyah: At 27, Kelly illegally marries 15-year-old singer Aaliyah. Marriage later annulled.

1996–2000

• Multiple lawsuits from women alleging sexual misconduct and emotional abuse. Many settled out of court.

2002

• Child Pornography Charges (Illinois):
  • Kelly charged with 21 counts after a video allegedly showed him engaging in sex acts with a minor.
  • He pleads not guilty; the trial is delayed for years.

2008

• After a six-year delay, Kelly is acquitted on all counts in the 2002 Illinois child pornography case after the girl in question did not testify.

2017

• Reports surface of “sex cult” allegations—claims that Kelly was holding young women against their will.

2019

• February: Kelly is charged in Cook County, IL, with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims, three of them minors.
• July:
  • Arrested on federal charges in both Chicago and New York: child pornography, sexual exploitation of a minor, racketeering, forced labor, kidnapping, sex trafficking.
  • Held without bond.

2021

• September: Convicted in New York on nine counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking—charges tied to a decades-long effort to recruit women and girls for illegal sex.

2022

• June: Sentenced to 30 years in federal prison (New York case).
• September: In a separate Chicago federal trial, Kelly convicted on six counts of producing child sexual abuse material and enticement of minors.

2023

• February: Sentenced to an additional 20 years in Chicago case (19 years to run concurrently, 1 extra consecutive).

2024–2025

• Unsuccessful appeals to federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.
• 2025: Files emergency request for release, citing alleged prison murder plot—denied by Judge Martha Pacold.