R. Kelly
CANCELLEDMusician
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American former singer, songwriter, record producer, and convicted sex offender. Known professionally as R. Kelly, he is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames such as 'the King of R&B', 'the King of Pop-Soul', and 'the Pied Piper of R&B'. In 2025, Billboard ranked him 9th on their list of the 'Best R&B Artists of All Time'. In 2023, Kelly was convicted of multiple charges of child sexual abuse—three of thirteen charges of production of child pornography and three charges of enticing a child, effectively ending his career. As of 2025, he is serving a 31-year combined sentence at FCI Butner Medium I in North Carolina.
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Controversy Timeline(4)
Federal sex trafficking conviction
In 2021, R. Kelly was found guilty on nine counts including racketeering and sex trafficking. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
Child pornography trial
In 2008, Kelly faced trial on 14 counts of child pornography. He was acquitted, but the allegations involved a video allegedly showing him with an underage girl.
Illegal marriage to Aaliyah
In 1994, Kelly illegally married 15-year-old singer Aaliyah using a fake ID listing her age as 18. The marriage was later annulled.
