R Kelly’s ex-tour manager bribed official for fake ID so singer could marry 15-year-old Aaliyah, court hears
R Kelly’s former tour manager bribed a government official to get the then-15-year-old singer Aaliyah a fake ID card so Kelly could secretly marry her “to protect him and Aaliyah”, a court has heard.
Demetrius Smith told a jury at Kelly‘s sex-trafficking trial that he went into a welfare office in Chicago in 1994 and asked an employee who was taking ID photos if they “want to make some money” before handing over $500.
He said he was confident the bribe would work because “everybody needs some money”, he added.
R&B singer Aaliyah worked with Kelly in the 1990s but the pair split after allegations he married her, aged 15. Pic: AP
The welfare card was one of two fake IDs used to allow the R&B artist to marry Aaliyah after he began a sexual relationship with her and believed she was pregnant.
A marriage licence listed Aaliyah as 18, while Kelly was 27 at the time.
Prosecutors say that Kelly wanted to use the marriage – later annulled by Aaliyah’s parents – to protect himself from criminal charges relating to having sex with a minor and prevent the singer from testifying against him.
Aaliyah and Kelly worked together at the start of her career and Kelly produced and wrote her debut single, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number, in 1994.
She later died in a plane crash aged 22 in 2001.
Demetrius Smith was forced to testify against his will after being given immunity from future charges
Kelly, 54, is charged in the bribery scheme as part of a racketeering case accusing him of sexually abusing several women, girls and boys during the course of his 30-year career.
He has continued to deny the charges, saying that his accusers were groupies who wanted to take advantage of his fame and fortune achieved through hits like I Believe I Can Fly.
Mr Smith, who was forced to testify against his will after being given immunity from future charges, repeatedly told the judge he was uneasy about taking the stand, but did not give a specific reason.
R Kelly has always denied the charges against him
However, after further questioning from the judge, he revealed how Kelly came to him during a 1994 tour and told him Aaliyah was “in trouble” and that he needed to get home.
Mr Smith said they rushed back to Chicago after a concert in another city so they could arrange the marriage meant “to protect him and Aaliyah”.
He said he told Kelly: “‘I know how to get her an ID’, and that’s what I did.”
Anthony Navarro, a trained audio engineer, said he spent most of his time driving visitors to and from Kelly’s home
Earlier on Friday, Anthony Navarro, another former Kelly employee, was called by the government to describe the inner workings of the Chicago-area mansion where Kelly had a recording studio and regular female visitors.
Mr Navarro said being at the mansion “was almost like the Twilight Zone“, adding that “it’s just a strange place”.
His testimony appeared to bolster the government’s claims that Kelly created an environment where women and girls faced strict rules that gave them little choice but to submit to the singer’s sexual desires.
Mr Navarro told the jury that he never witnessed Kelly sexually abuse his alleged victims but there were “girls” who would stay at his home for long stretches and could not eat or leave without the singer’s permission.
He said there were times when they wanted to leave but “couldn’t because they couldn’t get a ride or we couldn’t get ahold of Rob” to get approval.
Mr Navarro, a trained audio engineer, said he spent most of his time driving visitors to and from Kelly’s home.
He said: “Mainly it was girls who were coming to the studio.”
The trial continues.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
Read more from Sky News:
Ticketless Oasis fans blocked from gig
American Idol executive shot dead
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
Entertainment
Robin Kaye: American Idol TV executive and her husband shot dead inside their Los Angeles home
An American Idol TV executive and her husband have been found dead in their LA home.
Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the long-running reality TV series.
The bodies of the 70-year-old and her husband Thomas were discovered after officers conducted a welfare check at their home.
Both had died from gunshot wounds.
Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas. Pic: Facebook
Detectives say Raymond Boodarian has been arrested in connection with their deaths.
It is alleged the 22-year-old had burgled their property while they were away on 10 July – killing the couple upon their return.
According to Los Angeles Police, there were “no signs of forced entry or trouble” at the property.
Ms Kaye was an industry veteran – and had previously worked on shows including Lip Sync Battle and The Singing Bee, as well as several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Read more US news:
Trump to ‘refine trade deal’ with UK
Unreleased Beyonce music stolen
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles
In a statement, an American Idol spokesperson said: “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her.
“Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
Entertainment
Action taken to stop ticketless Oasis fans from watching this week’s shows in Manchester
Huge steel fences have been erected to prevent ticketless fans from watching the Oasis reunion tour in Manchester.
Liam and Noel Gallagher will resume their sold-out run of shows – their first since 2009 – with a performance at Heaton Park tonight, and two more on Saturday and Sunday.
While tens of thousands bought tickets for Oasis’s first two shows last weekend, crowds gathered to glimpse the large screens above the stage in the distance – in an area dubbed “Gallagher Hill” by some on social media.
People walk past a temporary security fence erected ahead of concerts by Oasis in Heaton Park on 1 July. Reuters file pic
Manchester City Council has now said more steel fences have been erected around parts of the park to prevent ticketless fans from watching the gigs, and to protect nature in the park.
“After taking stock of how the first two nights went, additional measures have now been deemed necessary and will be in place for the next three concerts,” it said.
“The erection of the fencing has a dual purpose – both to protect the environment from further damage and to dissuade people from gathering there.
“The necessary measure means the concert will no longer be visible from this area.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Friday: Excited fans at Oasis homecoming gig
The fences will cover a large area of the hill within the park’s cattle field, which is being developed as a new woodland area with around 300 young trees planted.
The council added that there would be no facilities for people without a ticket, and said the event area is “double-walled with solid high security fencing all the way round”.
More than 2,000 event security staff and police officers will also be on duty around the site “to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of ticket-holders and that only those who have tickets access the concert”, it said.
Read more:
What was Oasis’s first show in 16 years like?
Fans queue all day for Manchester homecoming gig
John Hacking, the council’s executive member for employment, skills and leisure, also said in a statement that “unfortunately our hand has been forced in having to put these additional measures in place”.
He added: “Our advice to music fans who don’t have tickets for the concerts is to head into the city centre instead.
“The whole city is going all out to celebrate and help everyone have a good time.
“We’ve got some fantastic things going on with a real party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy, whether they’ve got tickets for the Oasis gigs or not.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike