Newly unveiled letters show that the close associates of R. Kelly pleaded with a judge to have mercy on him ahead of his sentencing last month. One of these was his longtime assistant, Diana Copeland, who argued that the singer deserved sympathy.
In the heartfelt yet disturbing letter obtained by RadarOnline.com, Copeland spoke highly of the “I Believe I Can Fly” star. She explained that during her 15 years as his executive assistant, she never saw the monster he was portrayed as. Instead, Copeland said she witnessed a gentle and “down-to-earth” man who loved his family and shied away from parties unless it was work-related.
“I came to care very deeply for the entire family. This is why it is still hard for me to wrap my head around the possibility of Mr. Kelly received a life sentence in prison,” she wrote.
While Copeland may have never witnessed Kelly’s deviant practices, she did not deny that they happened. She stated that she supports women and abuse survivors but believes the legal system should handle even those guilty of abuse with grace.
“We have to be concerned with both the victims and the perpetrators. This is the only way to find healing,” the singer’s former employee pleaded.
Copeland’s letter was one of several written in support of Kelly before he received a 30-year sentence for sexual exploitation of a child, racketeering, bribery, and sex trafficking in New York. He is still facing charges in Illinois and Minnesota.
Joycelyn Savage, Kelly’s longtime partner and one of his victims, according to the “Surviving R. Kelly” doc, also penned a letter to the judge begging for leniency. She revealed that the two were engaged and that she was never treated wrongly by the Grammy award winner. Savage also stated that Kelly never treated his other women poorly. She has long been devoted to the 55-year-old, even participating in a 2019 Gayle King interview where she and Azriel Clary stated that Kelly was not holding them against their will. Clary had since recanted her statements and confessed that Kelly began a sexual relationship with her when she was underage.
The letters did not sway Judge Ann Donnelly, who said the case was about “violence, cruelty, and control.”
