Report: Grand jury convenes in R. Kelly case
New allegations against the singer include third tape
New allegations against R. Kelly have sparked a grand jury to convene in Cook County, Ill., according to a new report.
Two sources told CNN of the development, but the Cook County state’s attorney has not confirmed a new investigation. The office had previously encouraged any alleged victims of R. Kelly to come forward.
Lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted Saturday that a recording that wasn’t previously released “allegedly shows further acts of sexual abuse of an underage girl by R. Kelly.”
“This would be a third and distinctive other tape,” Avenatti told the Daily News. “I’m highly confident that there is a third tape, and I’m hopeful that we’re going to be able to recover it and turn it over to law enforcement.”
The attorney famous for representing porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have slept with President Donald Trump just four months after his wife gave birth to their son, told the Daily News that he gave a tape featuring R. Kelly engaging in sex acts with a minor to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office earlier this month. “I believe that as the result of the tape that we turned over to prosecutors that we can expect an indictment of R. Kelly shortly,” Avenatti told the News.
On Monday, R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told CNN that he wasn’t aware of a grand jury.
“No one from law enforcement has contacted me or my client regarding any potential investigation,” Greenberg said. “Certainly they are aware that I am representing him so if there were any reason to speak to him, I would suspect they would have reached out to me.”
“Grand jury proceedings are, by law, supposed to be secret, so to the extent people are commenting on what may or may not be going on today are possibly violating the law. Still, I can tell you that I am unaware of any proceedings,” Greenberg added.
Kelly, 52, has denied the many accusations of sexual abuse against him over the years. In 2008, he was acquitted of all charges after being indicted on 13 counts of child pornography.
Last month, a new Lifetime docu-series that featured several women who were allegedly abused by the R&B singer — whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly — brought the scandal back into focus.