R&B superstar R. Kelly鈥檚 musical accomplishments have long been shadowed by allegations that he sexually abused women and children. On Thursday, the singer of Chicago to 20 years in prison for child pornography and enticement of minors for sex. He will serve all but one of those simultaneously with a separate 30-year sentence on racketeering and sex trafficking convictions in New York.
Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, has vehemently denied the allegations, but his accusers testified that he subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage.
A timeline of Kelly鈥檚 life through his rise and fall as an R&B artist:
鈥� 1990: R. Kelly鈥檚 R&B group MGM wins the $100,000 grand prize on the syndicated television talent show 鈥淏ig Break,鈥� hosted by Natalie Cole. Because of money disagreements, that is the last time the group performs together.
鈥� January 1992: R. Kelly & Public Announcement debut 鈥淏orn Into The 鈥�90s.鈥� Released a year later, the album goes platinum.
鈥� November 1993: R. Kelly's album 鈥�12 Play鈥� is released and sells more than 5 million copies. Hit singles include 鈥淪ex Me鈥� and 鈥淏ump N鈥� Grind,鈥� which becomes the longest-running No. 1 R&B song in more than 30 years.
鈥� Aug. 31, 1994: At age 27, R. Kelly marries 15-year-old R&B singer Aaliyah D. Haughton in a secret ceremony arranged by Kelly at a Chicago hotel. The marriage is annulled months later because of Aaliyah鈥檚 age. (Aaliyah died in a plane crash seven years later, at age 22.)
鈥� November 1996: R. Kelly releases his third album, 鈥淩. Kelly.鈥� A month later, he incorporates Rockland Records. His song The same year, he marries 22-year-old Andrea Lee, a dancer from his touring troupe. The couple have three children: Joanne, Jaya and Robert Jr.
鈥� February 1998: Kelly wins three Grammys for 鈥淚 Believe I Can Fly.鈥�
鈥� August 2001: Tracy Sampson files a lawsuit against Kelly, alleging their sex was illegal under Illinois law because he was in 鈥渁 position of authority鈥� over her. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
鈥� Feb. 8, 2002: The that it received a videotape allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a girl who is a minor. The paper reports that Chicago police began investigating allegations about Kelly and the same girl three years earlier. At the time, the girl and her parents deny she was having sex with Kelly.
The day the news breaks, Kelly performs at the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
鈥� June 5, 2002: Kelly is indicted in Chicago on child pornography charges related to the sex tape. He pleads not guilty and is released on $750,000 bail.
鈥� May 9, 2008: Kelly鈥檚 child pornography trial begins.
鈥� June 13, 2008: Kelly is acquitted on all counts after less than a day of deliberations.
鈥� June 27, 2012: Kelly publishes his autobiography, 鈥淪oulacoaster: The Diary of Me,鈥� focusing on his creative and family life rather than his legal troubles.
鈥� Sept. 29, 2012: Kelly is nominated for two Soul Train Awards, making him the most nominated act ever at the awards show.
鈥� July 17, 2017: on parents鈥� claims that Kelly brainwashed their daughters and was keeping them in an abusive 鈥渃ult.鈥� One woman says she was with Kelly willingly. Activists launch the #MuteRKelly movement, calling for boycotts of his music.
鈥� May 2018: from its playlists, citing its policy on hateful conduct. Shortly after, Apple and Pandora also stop promoting his music. Kelly鈥檚 team pushes back, noting other artists on Spotify have been accused or convicted of crimes.
鈥� Jan. 3, 2019: which revisits old allegations and brings new ones into the spotlight. The B小蓝视频鈥檚 鈥淩 Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes,鈥� released the previous year, alleges the singer held women against their will.
鈥� Jan. 21, 2019: Multiple news outlets report that Kelly and his label, Kelly continues to deny all abuse allegations.
鈥� Feb. 22, 2019: Kelly is arrested and
鈥� Feb. 25, 2019: Kelly鈥檚 attorney enters not guilty pleas on the singer鈥檚 behalf. Hours later, and is released from jail in Chicago.
鈥� March 6, 2019: in which Kelly vehemently denies the sexual abuse charges. Cook County authorities take Kelly into custody after he tells a judge he can't pay $161,000 in child support.
鈥� May 30, 2019: Kelly is charged with 11 new sex-related counts in Chicago. They involve one of the women who accuses him of sexually abusing her when she was underage.
鈥� July 11, 2019: on charges including child pornography, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice. A separate indictment filed in the Eastern District of New York includes charges of racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor and the sexual exploitation of a child. He is again arrested in Chicago.
鈥� July 16, 2019: A federal judge after a prosecutor warns he poses an extreme danger to young girls.
鈥� Aug. 5, 2019: Kelly is with prostitution and solicitation related to an allegation that he invited a 17-year-old girl to his hotel room in 2001 and paid her $200 to dance naked with him.
鈥� March 5, 2020: to an updated federal indictment that includes child pornography charges and allegations involving a new accuser.
鈥� Aug. 12, 2020: Federal accused of threatening and intimidating women who have accused Kelly of abuse, including one man suspected of setting fire to a vehicle in Florida.
鈥� Aug. 18, 2021: in New York.
鈥� Sept. 27, 2021: A jury finds Kelly which makes it illegal to take anyone across state lines 鈥渇or any immoral purpose.鈥�
鈥� June 29, 2022: Kelly is sentenced to 30 years in prison in New York.
鈥� Aug. 15, 2022: in federal court in Chicago on child pornography, enticement and obstruction of justice charges.
鈥� Sept. 14, 2022: A federal jury and three counts of child enticement. But the jury acquits him on a fourth pornography count, a conspiracy to obstruct justice charge related to his 2008 trial, three counts of conspiring to receive child pornography and two more enticement charges. His two co-defendants, business associates Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, were found not guilty of charges against them.
鈥� Feb. 23, 2023: Kelly is for child pornography and enticement of minors for sex but will serve all but one of those simultaneously with a separate 30-year sentence on racketeering and sex trafficking convictions in New York.
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