Mr Kelly told Alex to "just be open-minded", he testified. When the rapper told Smith that he had gotten Aaliyah pregnant in 1994, he paid a welfare office employee for a fake ID that bumped Aaliyah's age up to 18. R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison today in a Chicago courtroom after being charged with crimes against minors. He noted that, despite being found not guilty, many associate the urinating man with him, and although it used to make him feel terrible, he no longer cares. Kellys confession comes nearly three decades after the pair were alleged to have been married in an illegal ceremony when Kelly was 27 and Aaliyah was 15. But Aaliyah has an incredible legacy. The week after Aaliyah's death her third studio album rose from No 19 to No 1 on the Billboard 200, and she became the first female artist to have a posthumous No 1 in the UK, when her single More Than A Womanhit the chart topping spot in January 2002. Aaliyah and her parents had the marriage annulled shortly after the ceremony. Were close and people took it the wrong way.. Aaliyah cut all contact with him, but the relationship continued to haunt her. Copyright 2023 Distractify. There was nothing romantic about it. In 2016, Kelly said that he and Aaliyah were best friends, deep friends and that he was in love with her just like [he] was in love with anybody else. It was a way to legalise his abuse.. The plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing Aaliyah and eight others on board. First, I want to tell you about Aaliyah, Maria Cruz Melendez, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in her opening argument. On Tuesday (February 7), a woman claiming to be the secret daughter of Aaliyah and R. Kelly posted a video online telling her truth (or so she says). Only now is Kelly being prosecuted for the crimes he allegedly committed against her, as well as against nineteen other women and two men, in a case brought by the Eastern District of New York. They met at a party at his house when she was about 15. One Of R. Kellys Alleged Victims Gave Horrific Testimony In Court On The First Day Of His Trial. But, in all fairness, the woman bares zero resemblance to either of her alleged famous parents. And Aaliyah would have had to stay out of the spotlight for months to keep this a secret. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Kelly is still facing another sexual misconduct case in Minnesota. Aaliyah was thought to have been pregnant at the time of her marriage to Kelly, then 27 in 1994, and he is accused of bribing an official to forge documents. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. When that album came out, Aaliyah was fifteen, and a sophomore at what was then called the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. When the marriage ended, Aaliyahs career almost ended over the scandal as she was demonised by the music industry while R. Kelly continued to go from strength to strength. Some of the reports say that R. Kelly may have rushed to marry Aaliyah and falsify her age because he feared he might have impregnated a minor. Aaliyah, who was planning to marry boyfriend Damon Dash, was also cast in the sequels of The Matrix, and had already filmed her role in The Matrix Reloaded. Aaliyah was a promising new R&B singer when, aged just 12, she first met the world-famous rapper. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah died in a plane crash in Marsh Harbor, the Bahamas. Prosecutors claim that Kelly was having sexual contact with Aaliyah and may have impregnated her while she was a minor; he then illegally married her. Kelly served as executive producer on Aaliyahs 1994 debut album, Age Aint Nothing But a Number, and had previously denied rumours that he and his then-protg had a sexual relationship. The coroner said that she went into such a state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. string(11) "Image_1.gif" In what has been called the biggest music industry scandal since Michael Jackson stood trial in 2005 on charges of child molestation, the 54-year-old singer is accused of racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery in relation to his illegal marriage to Aaliyah and conduct with five other teenage girls. Numerous witnesses are expected to be called to the stand by Kellys prosecutors, including women who claim they were sexually and physically abused by the singer. HAILED as a genius who paved the way for the female R&B superstars of today, Aaliyah died 20 years ago in a plane crash at just 22. Her testimony also makes Aaliyah the youngest woman Mr Kelly is accused of abusing. R. Kelly dodged an effective life sentence Thursday when a Chicago judge tacked on just one extra year to his 30-year punishment behind bars. Aaliyah was introduced to R. Kelly through her uncle Rewinding a bit, the pair first met through Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson, who also happened to be Kelly's manager. ( Gladys Knight and Toni } When Is the Chicago Runoff Election? The disgraced R&B singer narrowly avoided a lengthier sentence. This was a marriage for R. Kellys benefit to make sure that he couldnt get in trouble for abusing her. Heres what we know. Demetrius Smith, Kellys longtime friend and road manager, testified that McDavid gave him five hundred dollars in cash to bribe a Chicago-area official in order to secure a fake welfare card for Aaliyah; Smith also obtained a work I.D., allegedly from FedEx, from a friend of Kellys. Aaliyah insisted they were best friends and on August 31, 1994, the pair wed illegally and without the knowledge of her parents. After severing professional ties with Kelly in 1995, Aaliyah went on to have a successful music career, but always shut down questions about her former association with Kelly. When a prosecutor asked what Kelly needed protection from, Smith answered, "Shit. R. Kelly was indicted in 2002 on 21 counts of child pornography, but was eventually acquitted in 2008. Aaliyah got an abortion and never had the baby. She looked worried and scared.. R. Kelly pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a new Brooklyn indictment that charges the rapper with paying bribes so that Aaliyah, the hip-hop ingenue who died in a 2001 plane crash, could get a fake ID to marry him when she was just 15. This combination photo [content_id] => 6483 But for someone with a fear of flying, who could see some of the ground staff were not happy with the plane taking off, thats out of character. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas, in August, 2001, at the age of twenty-two, Photograph by Sal Idriss / Redferns / Getty. Cruz Melendez proceeded to tell the story of how one night in 1994, while the defendant was on tour, he got a call from Aaliyah saying she thought she was pregnant. } The conductors move to the New York Philharmonic may be less of a loss for L.A. than it appears. In 1994, when she was 15, Aaliyah said in an interview that she was rather close to Kelly, but denied that the pair had married. But the world looked on in shock when Kelly and the teenager, who was just 15 at the time, got married in an Illinois hotel room in 1994. string(15) "http://grc.net/" He said it was the only way to end her pregnancy without her parents' consent, according to the woman. #aaliyah #rkelly #love #daughter #secret #lost, Copyright 2023 AllHipHop.com LLC 2023-Infinity, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window). 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When Aaliyah was just 15 years old, she is alleged to have married Kelly, who was aged 27, on August 31 1994 in Chicago. What are the crimes and accusations against R Kelly? The Detroit performing arts school student (born Aaliyah Dana Haughton) was just 15 years old when rumors began that she had married the album's 27-year-old There is speculation that she was pregnant but he couldnt be held accountable for any crime because she was technically his wife. Kathy says: She was signed up to do two Matrix films, had been looking to collaborate with Trent Reznor on a rock album and was about to release a clothing and accessory line called Dolly Pop. Tragic life of R Kelly's teen bride Aaliyah - killed in a plane crash at just 22. Mr Kelly, 54, denies all the charges against him. Prosecutors claim that Kelly was having sexual contact with Aaliyah and may have impregnated her while she was a minor; he then illegally married her. R. 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By the time of her death,Aaliyah had more than left behind the first R Kelly scandal. Monday also saw a second male accuser testify against Mr Kelly. Aaliyahs cousin, Jomo Hankerson, has said she was villainised over the relationship, despite how young she was, and struggled to find a producer for her second album. stdClass Object Aged 17, she worked with Timbaland and Missy Elliott on her second album, One in a Million, which sold over eight million copies worldwide. Per Insider, Smith explained that Kelly's relationship with Aaliyah started out as a mentorship, but grew sexual. The controversial marriagewhich occurred when Aaliyah was just 15is a key event in the sex-crimes case against the disgraced singer. Although Everyone on earth knows R. Kelly had a romantic relationship with a teenaged Aaliyah in the 1990s. 2023 BBC. The pilot not qualified to fly the aircraft was later found to have cocaine and alcohol in his blood. Her passing was heartbreaking for fans. He says: Robert told me he thought Aaliyah was pregnant. The overloaded jet crashed and burst into flames, killing all nine people on board. Mr Kelly's former assistant also testified on Monday, saying she did not witness any of the abusive behaviour alleged by other witnesses. ( (McDavid is one of two former Kelly employees indicted in the second federal case, brought by the Northern District of Illinois. One commentator, Max Mohenu, said people were drawn to Aaliyahs carefree charisma, that mesmerising aura shed exceed that grabbed the eyes of the entire world". Read about our approach to external linking. No. In the recent Netflix documentary Surviving R. Kelly, his former assistant Demetrius Smith admitted helping forge marriage documents and revealed the 15-year-old singer had believed she was pregnant. WebR. The tragic singer had always insisted her mum, dad and brother joined her on video shoots - and the fateful filming for Rock The Boat was the only one for which she didnt ask them to come. Its a question R&B fans have been askingfor more than a decade did R. Kelly really marry Aaliyah? He previously said that he couldnt watch Surviving R. Kelly because its interviews with visibly traumatised girls discussing Kelly reminded him of how Aaliyah behaved when trying to reveal her experiences. R Kelly arrives in court in 2019, and the late Aaliyah in 2001. But her rapid ascent to superstardom was suddenly cut short on August 25, 2001, when the singer and members of her record company took a twin-engine Cessna plane back from the Bahamas, where she had finished the filming of the video for her new single, Rock the Boat. In 1994, at the age of 15, Aaliyah catapulted onto the R&B charts herself with her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But a Number. Aaliyahs album peaked at No 18 and went on to sell over three million copies in the US, with critics noting her silky vocals and sultry voice, and comparing her sound to female quartet En Vogue. Iandoli tweeted in response to Diane's statement, "I did not promote my book outside of Aaliyah's gravesite. In 2019, Kellys lawyer Steven Greenberg admitted that his client had married Aaliyah in 1994, but claimed that Kelly had no idea that the singer was 15 and that she had to lie about her age. The former dancer said she never mentioned the incident to Mr Kelly again. He does not deserve the credit. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. All Rights Reserved. "When you wait 70 years, 50 years, 40 years, to say something that simple, it's strange, he told GQ. [checked_out_time] => 0000-00-00 00:00:00 object(stdClass)#1108 (3) { R Kelly has finally admitted to having underage sexual contact with the late R&B singer Aaliyah. Traumatic experiences in life make people do some odd things. Stay up to date with what you want to know. I was in the room when they got married. ), After Kelly, there is perhaps no one alive who knows more about what happened between Aaliyah and Kelly than Hankerson. The comments are absolutely brutal. 2023 Cond Nast. "Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah" by Kathy Iandoli Atria Books The book covers many points of Aaliyah's career and her personal life, including her secret -- and The first time that the late singers name was spoken in a courtroom as a victim of sexual abuse was two weeks ago, twenty years after her death. Blessed with raw talent, looks and charisma, most observers were predicting that Aaliyahs fame would quickly go stratospheric. Hankerson, Aaliyahs uncle, ran her record company, Blackground Records. Mr Kelly's relationship with Aaliyah - his former protg - has become a focus of the trial. R Kelly has finally admitted to having underage sexual contact with the late R&B singer Aaliyah. She said that most of the questions focused on Kelly's relationship with Aaliyah, including accusations that he married her in 1994. Hankerson has been busy lately. Per Black Enterprise, Iandoli's book was published without the consent of Aaliyah's family. DeSantis won't say he's running. string(11) "Image_1.gif" However, after claiming that an "individual" had "been to Aaliyah's resting place in order to promote a book," she canceled the event. But will Hankerson testify at the trial in Brooklyn? The disgraced R&B singer narrowly avoided a lengthier sentence. info@araa.sa : , array(1) { Prosecutors in R. Kellys trial claim he bribed a Chicago official to forge documents, with the marriage certificate stating Aaliyahs age as 18. Kelly married Aaliyah in 1994 when she was only 15, according to documents presented at trial. Two years later she signed for Blackground records, owned by her uncle, Barry Hankerson, who had been married to soul legend Gladys Knight. When people ask me, I tell them, Hey, dont believe all that mess, Aaliyah told me, a few days after that issue of Vibe came out. ONE In A Million, Aailyahs second album, is appearing for the first time on streaming services this week ending years of contractual problems delaying its re-release. And there are few others who can speak to the point at which Kellys successful musical career may have become a criminal enterprise, designed to satisfy his illegal urges, as prosecutors contend it was. Kelly said hemarried Aaliyah because she was underage and needed the permission of her parents or "a spouse" to get an abortion, the woman testified. At her funeral on August 31, attended by Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Gladys Knight, 22 white doves were released to symbolise each year of Aaliyahs life. The verdict ended a six-year saga that began when a videotape surfaced of a man looking likeKelly having sex with a girl believed to be as young as 13. A coroners reports found that the singer and actress had suffered from severe burns and a blow to the head, in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. Then in August 1994, Smith said Kelly ordered him to book a flight home from a tour in Orlando after Aaliyah told Kelly she believed she was pregnant. WebShe looks like her father is Charlemagne tha God.. We know good and damn well Aaliyah and R. Kelly would at least have attractive children. Aaliyah was just 22 when she was killed in a plane crash in 2001, The singer married R Kelly at the age of 15 in a hotel room, Aaliyah's first album sold 3million copies in the US, Aaliyah was a rising Hollywood star when she died, The singer had finished filming a music video on the Bahamas when her plane crashed, The singer's premature death led to an outpouring of grief. 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