R. Kelly’s Brooklyn sex trafficking trial continued on Monday, with one of the disgraced singer’s former backup performers making some bombshell accusations.
The dancer, identified only as “Angela,” testified that she walked in on Kelly performing oral sex on Aaliyah around 1993. She testified that she opened the door and saw the two engaged in “a sexual situation.” Aaliyah was seated in a chair, and Kelly, who was in his mid-20s, was kneeling with his head in between the singer’s legs. She told jurors she shut the door and never told Kelly about what she witnessed.
The incident took place one year before Kelly married Aaliyah by obtaining a fake ID stating Aaliyah was 18. At the time of the marriage, the R&B singer was 27, and Aaliyah was just 15-years-old.
Angela, the 10th accuser in the trial, testified that she met Kelly in the early ‘90s through a person named Tiffany. Kelly began having sex with the woman when she was 14 or 15. She said she didn’t want to have sex with him, but Angela felt like she had to.
“He told us we had to pay our dues. It was a requirement to come around,” Angela testified. She also said he had them “recruit me some new talent,” meaning girls.
Angela told the court that she spent a lot of time with Kelly over the years, either at his home or a Chicago studio. She saw him for “quite a few years” until she was at least 17. Even after she stopped working for Kelly, she sometimes saw him while working for Sparkle.
“I was embarrassed,” she gave as the reason why she never came forward. “I never wanted anyone to know I was in that situation at all.”
Kelly faces one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which criminalizes the transportation of people across state lines for prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
