R Kelly overdoses in prison after being placed in solitary confinement
Lawyers for R. Kelly have revealed that the incarcerated singer overdosed last week. They say th e58-year-old star took medication given to him by prison staff.
The “Ignition” singer’s legal team, in a June 17 filing obtained by USA TODAY, claims that after being placed in solitary confinement on June 12, prison staff provided him additional medication to what he normally takes, leading to him being rushed to hospital. According to the filing, Kelly was forcibly removed from Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, against medical advice.
The singer, born Robert Kelly has been serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking since 2022.
The lawyers say leading up to his overdose, Kelly was placed in solitary confinement on June 10 “against his will.”
Kelly’s team also claimed three Bureau of Prisons officials allegedly devised a plot to have the singer killed by another inmate.
According to the legal filing, in the early morning hours of June 13 Kelly woke up feeling “faint” and “dizzy.”
He started to see black spots in his vision. Mr. Kelly tried to get up, but fell to the ground,” the documents stated. “He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness.”
Onsite prison medical staff could not help him, so he was transported to Duke University Hospital by ambulance, the filing continued. He was hospitalised for two days.