R. Kelly is a free man – from suicide watch, that is.
The disgraced R&B singer took home a small legal victory today (July 5) against the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center where he’s being held. After Kelly was sentenced to 30 years for his sexual abuse and racketeering crimes, the prison placed him on suicide watch, which he and his legal team dubbed “cruel and unusual punishment” in a lawsuit.
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The “Ignition” hitmaker made it clear that he had no intentions of harming himself or anyone else, stating that he was only being held under such conditions due to his celebrity status, though authorities responded by filing documents saying that he’s being watched “for his own safety.”
“[R. Kelly‘s] current life circumstances undoubtedly bring emotional distress,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Speight wrote in documents obtained by TMZ. “He is a convicted sex offender who has been sentenced to spend the next three decades in prison.”
After undergoing a “clinical assessment,” though, the 55-year-old has been taken off suicide watch. At this time, no further details on the medical examination have been revealed.
What we do know, however, is that Kelly will be expected to undergo treatment for an unnamed sexual disorder while incarcerated, and upon his conditional release, he’s barred from any contact with minors.
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Elsewhere in recent news, Jeffrey Epstein’s associate and former lover Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced for her sex abuse crimes, also receiving a lengthy sentence behind bars – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for any updates on R. Kelly’s imprisonment.
[Via]