Disgraced singer R. Kelly has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement following a jailhouse beatdown from another inmate, the artist’s lawyer told The Post on Thursday.
“That’s the only place they can protect him,” said Steven Greenberg, Kelly’s Chicago-based attorney.
Earlier this week, an inmate who became frustrated over lockdowns caused by the “Ignition” hitmaker, who’s currently awaiting trial on a series of child sex abuse charges, confronted R. Kelly in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre before attacking him, Greenberg said.
“My understanding is, every time there is a pro-R. Kelly protest outside of the jail, they lock down the entire facility,” the lawyer said during a brief interview.
“When they do this, inmates don’t get their commissary, they don’t get their shower, stuff like that and since they’re fairly sporadic anyway, they get upset. So they’re penalising everyone in the facility because people are protesting in support of Kelly.”
The attorney brushed off the attack as a “dust-up” and said there were “minor injuries, nothing broken” but added he was “concerned” that guards may not be able to protect him next time.
“I’m still very concerned because sure this time the guards were able to quickly stop something from happening but what happens if someone goes in his cell with a shank or something like that? Or the guards are busy doing something else?” Greenberg said.
“We were fortunate this time but who’s to say next time?”
R. Kelly is awaiting trial on a series of child sex abuse charges and has petitioned the courts to free him amid the COVID pandemic, though all requests were rejected. Kelly has denied all allegations against him.
