The former goddaughter of R. Kelly testified in court in Chicago, Illinois, that she had sex with the disgraced singer for the first time when she was 15 years old, along with other underage girls, on multiple occasions.
Brittany is an alias used by a female, and Pinky (also an alias) is her classmate, both of whom are scheduled to give testimony in the trial. Jane claimed that she engaged in group sexual activities with Kelly and other underage females, including Pinky and Brittany. She also mentioned that her initial sexual encounter with Kelly took place when she was 14 years old, and intercourse happened for the first time the following year. The individual, who is currently 37 years old and serves as Kelly’s goddaughter, provided testimony at his federal trial in Chicago on Thursday, August 18, using the name “Jane” as a pseudonym.
When questioned by the prosecution about how often she engaged in sexual activities with Kelly, Jane replied, “It’s difficult to keep track. Countless. On numerous occasions… Hundreds of times.”
According to Jane, it was often mentioned that her phone calls with Kelly turned sexual when their romantic relationship started. Jane also claimed that Kelly had a romantic relationship with Stephanie Edwards, who is Kelly’s protege and Jane’s aunt, as brokered by her godfather. It is reported by the Chicago Tribune that Jane met Kelly in the nineties when she was either 12 or 13, and their relationship began when she visited his studio.
During the trial, it was a significant factor in his acquittal that Jane, notably, did not testify in the 2008 trial, as prosecutors claim that her family and associates, including Kelly, paid her off and covered up the videotapes. Prosecutors also claim that Jane had previously denied being abused by Kelly, with allegations of abuse against him dating back to 2000. In February 2002, an initial investigation into Kelly’s abuse allegations was conducted, in which Jim DeRogatis, a former reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, received the notorious tape in which Jane is recognized as saying that she was being abused. The retired Chicago detective, Everett Daniel, testified on Wednesday, supporting the claim that Jane made in the tape. Alongside other clips, Jane testified that she was the girl being sexually abused in the video, which was at the center of Kelly’s child pornography trial in 2008, and he was acquitted of all charges.
During her testimony, she claimed that he urinated on her and then proceeded to request her to describe her genitalia as that of a 14-year-old. It was mentioned that he had offered her champagne and in the recorded video, she could be seen lying on the floor. One particular clip was filmed in the living room of R. Kelly’s former residence in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, which contained the well-known footage that played a significant role in the 2008 trial. As she recounted the alleged sexual abuse that Kelly had recorded at his home, her voice gradually grew softer, eventually reaching a near-whisper. On Thursday, Jane experienced an emotional moment, breaking down halfway through her more than four-hour testimony on the witness stand.
Jane broke down in tears and said, “He wanted me to appear like a prostitute… If anyone saw the tape.” When Kelly asked why she handed money to Jane at the beginning of the clip, Jane described moments of being urinated on and engaging in detailed sexual acts, as well as being in a jacuzzi. She remained silent for some moments before asking to discuss the room and what occurred. Kelly referred to it as the “log cabin,” which was a room filmed in a separate video at a different time, allegedly taped by Kelly.
According to testimony, the four videos that are crucial to the new trial, which were filmed when Jane was 14 years old, are expected to be shown to the jurors at some point during the trial, which is estimated to last for a month. Jane stated that the sexual activities occurred at Kelly’s former residence, his recording studios, while on tour buses, and at hotels.
During that period, she expressed that she gradually developed emotions for and cared deeply for [Kelly], whom she desired to safeguard. “I was filled with fear,” she admitted, as she recounted the police’s initial investigation into their relationship in 2000. Jane testified in court that she initially refuted the accusations on Thursday.
On the news, her father “was extremely upset” and she mentioned that Kelly begged for forgiveness from her parents. They had a discussion with her parents where she admitted to the romantic involvement, and shortly after, Jane alleges that Kelly instructed her to keep denying their relationship. In 2002, her aunt informed her that one of the explicit videos featuring Jane and Kelly had been released and would soon become public. Initially, she claimed that only her friends Pinky and Brittany were aware of their relationship.
Supposedly, Kelly promptly dispatched Jane and her family to the Bahamas and Cancun for a duration of two weeks. According to her testimony on Thursday, “There was a considerable amount of adverse focus on the video recording.” Additionally, she stated, “It was not an enjoyable holiday. It was not perceived as a vacation; rather, we were attempting to comprehend the predicament we found ourselves in” and “it was genuinely unsettling.”
In April 2002, she testified before a grand jury and claimed that she was coached by Kelly to deny their relationship. Jane acknowledged that she lied to the grand jurors. She also admitted that she was granted immunity from prosecution for her prior perjury in 2002, in exchange for her testimony in the current federal trial.
Jane said that Kelly moved from Olympia to his home in 2002, while he was awaiting trial. She stated that he abused her by hitting and spanking her. She testified that he paid for her car and rent after she moved out around the age of 24 or 23. She testified that despite receiving a check from Kelly, she noticed the word “settlement” on it and realized that no settlement had been made between them.
During Thursday’s hearing, Matthew Hulsizer, the owner of the house, testified that he was forced to remove a button that he needed to press in order to leave the bedroom. He also said that he found a hidden camera in a fake smoke detector in one of the bedrooms. Additionally, Kelly, a former resident of Kelly’s R. Purchased home, featured in the testimony, claimed that some of the tapes filmed allegedly involved Jane.
Three men, all guilty, have not pleaded to charges against them. McDavid and Kelly, who knew people tied to allegations about Kelly’s alleged abuse, are also facing charges of obstruction of justice for paying off those individuals. Brown and McDavid, who were charged with receiving child pornography as part of an alleged effort to recover missing tapes allegedly showing Kelly engaged in sex acts with minors, are also facing charges. Kelly is facing multiple charges of coercing minors into sex acts.
In the upcoming weeks, four additional claimants are also anticipated to give evidence. Lawyers representing Kelly and Brown will question Jane on Friday when she returns to the witness stand. Throughout her testimony, she addressed the purported intended concealment of Kelly and Jane’s relationship, attempting to establish the plausibility that others within the Kelly team would not have knowledge of their relationship. One of McDavid’s lawyers promptly cross-examined Jane on Thursday.
This article was updated on Aug. 18 at 9 p.M. ET to reflect testimony later in the day following afternoon publication.