After a six-week trial, the American singer was found on Monday, September 27, guilty of sexual offenses that could send him behind bars to the end of his life.
The trial in a federal court in New York revealed how the defendant developed a mechanism that used his fame to sexually abuse women and children for over two decades. R Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty of using his reputation and fortune to lure victims with the promise that he would help them pursue a musical career, citing CNN.
Several of his victims testified under oath that they were minors when they were abused by R Kelly. The jury that found the 54-year-old artist guilty was composed of 9 women and 2 men and deliberated for two days. The sentence is expected on May 4.
Kelly was also found guilty of violating a federal law that punishes human trafficking for sexual intercourse between American states.
R Kelly received his verdict "without any apparent reaction"
The international press notes that, unlike the cases of other celebrities convicted of sexual abuse, such as Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, most of the victims who contributed to the defendant's conviction are people of color.
Kelly found her verdict in the shelter of a protective mask, the quoted source states. He had no apparent reaction and his lawyer, Deveraux Cannick, said he did not anticipate the verdict.
One of the women who testified against her stated that the interpreter kidnapped, drugged and raped her and that she had to hide because of the threats she received from the accused. "I am ready to start living my life without fear and to start healing," said the woman, identified in court as Sonja.
Monday's verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography after a trial in Illinois.
R Kelly, found guilty of "racketeering", a crime attributed to criminal organizations
Many of the accusations against the performer were first made in a documentary called "Surviving R Kelly" (Surviving R Kelly). Kelly's victims were sometimes selected from the audience of his concerts or lured into his entourage with promises of help in his musical career. After entering Kelly's circle, future victims learned that they had to abide by a strict regime and were punished for violating the so-called "Rob's Rules," as the artist's team called them.
In addition to the crime of sex trafficking, Kelly was found guilty on Monday of "racketeering", a crime that designates the use of a business to commit illegal acts and which is usually directed against organized crime groups. During the trial, prosecutors testified with directors, bodyguards and other members of Kelly's entourage that they worked together to assist him in criminal activities.
The court also found out that the artist illegally obtained documents to marry the minor singer Aaliyah. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 after marrying R Kelly at just 15 years old.
Victims' Advocate: The Worst Sexual Predator I've Met
Several of Kelly's victims were represented by attorney Gloria Allred. "I have been practicing law for 47 years and I have followed many sexual predators who have abused women and children over time. Of all these, R Kelly is the worst, ”she said. For her part, prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulis said Monday's verdict sends a message to other men who use their power like Kelly. "It doesn't matter how long it takes, eventually the arm of the law will reach you," Kasulis said.
R Kelly is also targeted by accusations of child pornography and obstruction in Chicago and by accusations of sexual abuse in Illinois and Minnesota.
R Kelly was one of the most beloved artists of the '90s. The song "I Believe I Can Fly" was hummed by young people from all over the world, being also the song on the soundtrack of the movie "Space Jam", with Michael Jordan in the lead role.
The singer appeared simultaneously on the covers of Vogue America and Vogue UK this month and gave an interview in which she talked about her radical transformation, saying that she has become "addicted" to exercise.
Even though the artist lost a lot of weight and looks spectacular, she revealed that she had to endure the "brutal comments" of other women about changing her physical appearance.
"My body has been seen as an object my whole career. Not just now. I understand why it was a shock. I understand why some women, in particular, felt hurt, "the singer told Vogue America.
"I represented a lot of women, visually. But I am still the same person ", Adele added. "Other women had the worst conversations about my body. I was damn disappointed by that. My feelings hurt ", added the singer.
Asked what triggered the amazing physical transformation, which took place over a period of two years, Adele replied: “It started because of anxiety. When I was training I felt better ”.
For two years, she did rigorous weight training and circuit training sessions every day, even twice a day when her anxiety level was high.
"I realized that when I was training I had no anxiety. It was never about losing weight. I thought that if I can make my body stronger, and if I will feel and see this, then maybe one day I can make my emotions and mind stronger ", the artist revealed.
Many fans reacted on social media to the images she posted, some of them saying that they "miss" the old Adele, and others went even further and criticized her for losing weight. But Adele says that although she looks different from how the fans knew her, she is still the same person.
Who, as a child, has not dreamed of getting a picture with his favorite celebrity? Having a photo of a star would already be happiness, and if a celebrity agrees to take a picture with you, this is the pinnacle of joy. But, it turns out, there are lucky ones who have not one, two or even three pictures with a star in their collection, but about thirty. Back in the 90s, a guy named Rob Beerman began collecting photos with Hollywood celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and even Chuck Norris. Apparently Rob was an ardent fan of these talented people and did not miss the opportunity to meet them. And, the funny thing is, he continues to do this to this day, posting pictures on his Instagram.
Rob and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Agree that when we were little, we never dreamed of some celebrity taking a photo with us.
Rob and actor Chuck Norris
Rob and boxer Muhammad Ali
And the little boy, and even in the midst of the 90s, was not only lucky enough to see half of Hollywood, but also took pictures with his favorite stars.
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Rob and the Aerosmith group
Rob and actor Sylvester Stallone
Rob and US President George W. Bush
It can be assumed that Rob has influential parents, otherwise how the boy was allowed to the president?
Rob and actor Chris Rock
Rob and actor Chris Farley
Rob and bassist and second vocalist of ZZ Top Dusty Hill
One way or another, the child was very lucky and over time he gathered an impressive collection of pictures with the stars.
Rob and actress Betty White
Rob and boxer Evander Holyfield
The funny thing is that as he grew up, the guy continued to take pictures with famous people.
Rob and Nickelback vocalist Chad Krueger
But a completely grown-up Rob (pictured on the right) poses with musician Randall King
And even becoming a completely adult, Rob does not stop taking pictures with celebrities the way he did in childhood.
Time is merciless to each of us and there is hardly a person whom it has spared and left forever young and beautiful. We can say that stars have more chances to preserve their youth and at least slightly delay their aging, but if you compare their photos at different ages, it becomes clear that this is impossible. Artist Ard Gelink gives us clear examples of how things change over time, combining photographs of the same stars at different ages so that we can feel the difference.
Michael J. Fox
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Kate Winslet
Bill Murray
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Madonna
Adele
Robert Downey Jr.
Angelina Jolie
Brigitte Bardot
Mark Hamill
Sophia Loren
Matthew Perry
Britney Spears
Cher
Robert DeNiro
Billie Eilish
Many consider the time in which we live to be the best in the history of mankind due to the fact that today almost everything is available to people. We can go online wherever and whenever we want, create a non-existent person using a neural network and entrust the cleaning of our house to a robot vacuum cleaner. But today there is no such liveliness and purity of emotions that were before, and looking at photos of stars taken in the last century, you will be convinced of this.
Sylvester Stallone and Ferrari F40 at the Fiorano race track, 1990
Frida Kahlo and the fawn, 1939
Arnold Schwarzenegger poses at the Victoria Palace in London, 1968
Alice Cooper with Colonel Sanders, founder of the KFC fast food chain, 1969
Hugh Jackman, Sydney University of Technology, 1991
Robert De Niro and his father Robert De Niro Sr., 1946
Ernest Hemingway watches his cat drinking water from a glass, 1950s
Billy Idol with American sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, better known under the pseudonym "Dr. Ruth", 1980s
Alfred Hitchcock and the monster of Frankenstein on a tour of Universal Studios, 1970s
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) in his youth, 1960
Sophia Loren in the movie "Millionaire", 1960
American singer Prince, circa 1977
Princess Leia on the beach, 1983
Pamela Anderson, 1990
Happy 16 year old Heath Ledger smiles at casting in 1995
Spice Girls in Shinjuku, Tokyo, 1996
Gillian Anderson fooling around on the set of The X-Files in 1994
Angelina Jolie as a teenager in the early 90s
Kurt Cobain, 1992
Grace Jones and Dolph Lundgren at the Area nightclub in New York, 1984
