R. Kelly legal team says overdose was part of assassination attempt

R. Kelly's legal team says his safety is at risk after he was hospitalized in what they call an assassination attempt by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Posted 6/18/2025, 4:17:50 PM Updated 6/18/2025, 5:58:05 PM

WRAL WEATHER ALERT DAY. COMING

UP.

ELIZABETH, THANKS. A NEWS

CONFERENCE SCHEDULED BY A CIVIL

RIGHTS GROUP WITH CONCERNS

ABOUT SINGER R KELLY SAFETY AT

THE FEDERAL PRISON IN BUTNER

WAS CANCELED THIS MORNING.

>> HIS LEGAL TEAM SAYS HIS

SAFETY IS AT RISK AFTER HE WAS

HOSPITALIZED. WHAT THEY CALL AN

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT BY THE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS.

WRAL'S HEIDI KIRK WAS IN BUTNER

THIS MORNING.

WE'VE LEARNED JUST WITHIN THE

LAST HOUR THAT THAT PRESS

CONFERENCE HERE WAS CANCELED.

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT R KELLY'S

ATTORNEY IS HEADED HERE TO MEET

WITH HIM IN PERSON TODAY.

>> YESTERDAY WE WENT THROUGH

ALMOST 30 PAGES OF COURT

DOCUMENTS FILED BY HIS

ATTORNEY. THIS DOCUMENT YOU SEE

HERE CLAIMS THERE IS EVIDENCE

THAT OFFICIALS WITHIN THE

PRISON SYSTEM. I HAVE SOLICITED

MISTER KELLY'S MURDER. THIS

DOCUMENT SAYS, QUOTE, WE HAVE

EVIDENCE THAT OUR CLIENTS LIFE

IS BEING THREATENED BY THE VERY

JAILERS ON WHICH HE IS REQUIRED

TO RELY FOR PROTECTION. ANOTHER

DOCUMENT ALLEGES THAT KELLY

WAS GIVEN, QUOTE, HIM OUT OF

MEDICINE THAT COULD HAVE KILLED

HIM LEADING TO AN OVERDOSE.

THEN AFTER BEING TAKEN TO DUKE

UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL WAS TAKEN

BACK TO PRISON DESPITE BEING

TOLD HE NEEDED ADDITIONAL

SURGERIES. NOW WE REACHED OUT

TO DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL TO

CONFIRM THOSE CLAIMS. A

SPOKESPERSON DIRECTED US TO THE

FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS WHO

SAID THEY COULD NOT COMMENT

ON PENDING LEGAL MATTERS.

WE ALSO RECEIVED A COPY OF THE

RESPONSE FILED BY THE

PROSECUTORS, WHICH SAYS, QUOTE,

KELLY'S MOTION MAKES A MOCKERY

OF THE HARM SUFFERED BY KELLY'S

VICTIMS AND FLOUTS. THIS

COURT'S PREVIOUS RULING THAT

THIS COURT LACKS JURISDICTION

TO ENTERTAIN KELLEY'S

COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CONDITIONS

OF HIS CONFINEMENT. NOW, OF

COURSE, THIS IS A DEVELOPING

STORY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO