R. Kelly’s Lawyers Ask Judge To Dismiss Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Embattled R&B superstar R. Kelly and his attorneys are asking a Cook County judge to dismiss a civil sexual abuse case, filed by one of the four alleged victims in Kelly’s criminal case.

The lawsuit was filed on February 21, a day before Kelly was charged with 10 counts of criminal sexual abuse. In the suit, the woman alleged Kelly sexually abused the plaintiff, who was a minor at the time, after a member of the singer’s entourage invited her to his former studio in ‘98. 

However, it wasn’t until several years later that the woman began therapy and realized that Kelly had abused her. As a result, the singer’s attorneys filed a motion in Cook County Circuit Court, arguing that the statute of limitations to file the complaint expired a long time ago.

In their motion to dismiss, Kelly’s lawyers said the woman had until 2002 to file any claim for damages; however, state law says a person has up to 20 years from “the date the person abused discovers” their abuse to file civil litigation. In response, the plaintiff’s attorney, Jeffrey Deutschman, said Kelly’s lawyers “have a right to do this,” but their motion to dismiss “just makes [the civil case] go longer.” 

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Kelly’s attorneys also filed a motion to hold off on the civil case until the completion of his criminal case. Judge Moira Susan Johnson has yet to rule on either motion.

The next hearing in the civil case is set for late August.