Photo: AFP
August 18th 2021 marked day 1 of R. Kelly's racketeering trial where he faces multiple allegations of sexual abuse.
Brooklyn Assistant US Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez addressed Kelly’s alleged union with Aaliyah in 1994, when he was 27 and she was 15. Prosecutors believe Kelly became aware that Aaliyah of Aaliyah's alleged pregnancy and he fathered their unborn child which led to the marriage and prevented Aaliyah from testifying against him.
“This was, of course, a huge problem for him,” Cruz Melendez said about Aaliyah’s purported pregnancy. “If she was pregnant that meant there would be questions: At the very top of that list of questions — who is the father of that baby?”
Kelly is also being accused of bribing a Chicago official to get Aaliyah, identified in court docs as "Jane Doe No. 1," a fake ID. Their marriage certificate listed Aaliyah as 18, but was annulled a year later.