Kelly asserts his lack of awareness regarding an August 2023 court ruling, in which six women were awarded $10.5 million over alleged threats that led to the cancellation of a screening of the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
Kelly claims he would have contested the lawsuit had he been cognizant of its existence, citing a high volume of legal matters and recent changes in his legal representation as factors that may have caused this specific lawsuit to go unnoticed.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly contends that, if he did receive the lawsuit, he “cannot read or understand words beyond that of a grade schooler” and heavily relies on his legal team to interpret the implications he might face.
The lawsuit accused R. Kelly and his then-manager, Donnell Russell, of making repeated threats to silence six women featured in the “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries.
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Kelly and Russell also allegedly threatened legal action against both the women and the producers of the documentary.
The legal action claimed that a screening in New York City in December 2018 was forcibly shut down after a member of Kelly’s team threatened to “shoot up” the venue.
In the latest court documents, R. Kelly distances himself from Russell’s role as his manager, asserting that if Russell made the threat leading to the screening’s cancellation, the blame should rest solely on Russell’s shoulders, as he supposedly acted for his own reasons. Donnell Russell, in connection with this lawsuit, has already received a one-year sentence.
Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence following his 2022 conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking. Additionally, he faces an additional 20 years in prison for a child sex crimes charge
