R Kelly

At the end of last month, R. Kelly was found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering after a nearly two-month trial. The charges against a single count of racketeering and eight violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across states lines for the purpose of prostitution. Less than a month after the verdict was revealed, the singer was placed under suicide watch, according to the Chicago Tribune.

During a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber “after he was found guilty, [Kelly] was placed under suicide watch.” However, it was noted that the watch has been lifted. The reveal comes after the trial date for his Chicago child pornography case was set for August 2022. In that case, he also faces charges for obstruction of justice in relation to alleged witness tampering and witness intimidation.

As for Kelly’s sex trafficking and racketeering conviction in New York, he faces life in prison as a result of the guilty verdict. The sentencing portion of the trial is set to begin on May 4, 2022. Greenberg revealed that he would be “revamping” his legal team for him in order to appeal the conviction once sentencing was finished. This comes after reports suggested that Kelly’s legal team for the New York trial was disorganized and unprepared.

After being convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering in a New York court last month, R. Kelly’s local trial in Chicago has been set for August of 2022 according to Billboard. In that case, the singer stands accused of charges related to child pornography and obstruction of justice for alleged witness tampering and intimidation. Set to begin on August 1, the new trial is expected to last three to four weeks. R. Kelly will be defended in his second trial by his original attorneys Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard after they abandoned the New York case before it went to trial.

Greenberg also noted during today’s scheduling hearing that the singer had been placed on suicide watch after being found guilty in New York, but was since cleared. Kelly’s sentencing case in that trial is set for May 4, 2022, and the singer faces up to life in prison. Statements made by Greenberg during the scheduling suggested that he would be “revamping” his legal team for an appeal once sentencing was complete. Kelly was present at the scheduling hearing via video call but Billboard notes that he was “unable to unmute himself to answer when asked by the judge to confirm the status of his legal team.”

Kelly’s wish to revamp may be related to reports that his team in New York was disorganized and unprepared.

R. Kelly was recently found guilty of kidnapping, racketeering, and sexual exploitation of a child during his trial in a Brooklyn court. The ruling came after seven weeks of shocking and graphic testimonies from witnesses. The conviction resulted in the removal of Kelly’s YouTube channel. Unfortunately, that did not stopa boost in his streaming numbers. According to Rolling Stone, Kelly experienced a “double-digit growth” in his streaming numbers and a “triple-digit growth” in sales.

The publication noted that from September 27 to October 3, Kelly’s on-demand audio streams increased by 22 percent and his video streams went up by 23%. His album sales jumped 517% while his streaming numbers went from 11.2 million to 13.4 million during this period. This uptick will certainly take a hit now that his YouTube account has been removed, a spokesperson for the company explained to Bloomberg. “We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” they said in a statement.

This comes after his honorary “key to the city” in Baton Rouge was revoked following his guilty verdict. Baton Rouge Metro Council member Denise Marcelle, who gave the singer the key back in 2013, expressed her “regrets” for even awarding it to him in the first place.