R. Kelly pays $41,666 in child support, as prosecutors 'prepare to convene jury for separate charges of sexual assault'

ENTERTAINMENT

R. Kelly pays $41,666 in child support, as prosecutors 'prepare to convene jury for separate charges of sexual assault'

 

R. Kelly has paid over $40,000 in child support for the next two months to avoid facing jail time for contempt of court.

Kelly's family attorney Lisa Damico appeared in Chicago court Tuesday afternoon and paid $41,666 to cover June and July's child support payments to his ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, TMZ reported.  

It was claimed that the embattled singer, 52, still owes interest on back child support of $32,000.

However his manager Darrell Johnson told TMZ: 'At no point in the foreseen future do we see paying interest of child support. As of May 14, 2019 Mr. Kelly is current on support payments.'

Just days ago, the Grammy award winning singer appeared in court and paid another $62,000 in back child support during a hearing.  

It came weeks after the judge in that case ordered Kelly to jail after finding him in contempt of court for failing to pay $161,000 in back child support to his ex-wife, who is the mother of his three children.

Kelly remained locked up for three days until he raised the back child support.

'He's not a deadbeat dad,' Kelly's lawyer Lisa Damico told reporters after Wednesday's hearing, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

'All he wants to do is do right by his kids.'

Kelly's bookings for performances began drying up following the airing of a television documentary, Surviving R Kelly.

That was weeks before his February arrest on charges accusing him of sexually abusing a woman and three girls over roughly a 10-year period starting in the late 1990s.

Last Tuesday, one of his lawyers told reporters that he was lining up performances for the Grammy award-winning R&B singer in Illinois and outside the state, and that he anticipated the judge approving requests to travel to make those appearances.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty to the sexual abuse charges and denied any wrongdoing. 

Earlier this month, R. Kelly appeared for a hearing where his attorney, Steve Greenberg, demanded prosecutors hand over celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti's video evidence that allegedly shows Kelly having sex with an underage girl. 

Kelly's legal troubles are far from over as it was revealed that Illinois prosecutors are preparing to convene a grand jury later this month, to look into sex trafficking claims against Kelly. 

The case, led by the Northern District of Illinois, is separate from two other probes underway into Kelly in New York. 

That grand jury will reportedly include witness testimony of how Kelly allegedly bought plane tickets and hotel rooms for underage girls, as well as emails and text-messages and physical evidence including semen-stained clothing, according to TMZ. 

Earlier this year it was reported that Illinois investigators and prosecutors were looking for more sex tapes involving Kelly and minors and interviewing parties close to the singer.  

The video was brought to light by Avenatti, who represents two of Kelly's accusers. The lawyer currently faces unrelated charges of embezzlement and extortion in California.

SHARE THIS STORY