R. Kelly’s former defense lawyer is making headlines for comments he reportedly made about the singer’s 2008 child pornography trial. According to a Chicago Sun-Times column by Neil Steinberg, attorney Ed Genson said in an interview at his Illinois home that he believed Kelly was guilty at the time of that trial.
Kelly was acquitted on all counts in 2008. Genson represented him in that case. According to the Sun-Times, Genson also claimed he sent Kelly to a doctor for medication meant to lower his urges, and that this is why Kelly was not arrested again for years. Those are Genson’s claims as reported by the newspaper, and they have not been confirmed by any court or medical record.
Genson also reportedly told the paper that Kelly had a habit of getting himself into trouble and that he had to review Kelly’s music for lyrics that could upset a judge during the first case.
The response came quickly. Kelly’s current attorney, Steve Greenberg, reportedly said Genson has no recollection of the conversation and would never have made such a statement, calling the remarks improper. The New York Daily News reported that Genson’s son, Morton, said his father was on a lot of medication during the interview and was not speaking to anyone, according to the report. Kelly’s publicist said a statement would come later. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office did not respond to the Sun-Times’ request for comment.
The comments surfaced as Kelly faces new legal trouble. In February 2019, Kelly was charged in Cook County with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four women, three of whom were reportedly underage at the time. Kelly pleaded not guilty and has denied wrongdoing in the past. He is presumed innocent of those charges.
