Disgraced singer R. Kelly‘s fate hangs in the balance as his sex abuse trial in Chicago cranks into full gear.
For many observers, the fallen star was dealt a devastating blow when the prosecution called a key witness to the stand – the woman at the center of his now infamous sex tape.
Now 37, the woman’s account of her experience is considered crucial to the current case. Because, despite being identified as the underage female in the video, she notably didn’t testify during Kelly’s 1998 trial. A move many say helped collapse the case against the crooner at the time.
Testifying as a “Jane Doe” to protect her identity, she did not hold back. Indeed, the woman relayed how Kelly coerced her into sex at just 15 years old and filmed several encounters.
Kelly wasn’t the only one portrayed in a bad light; her aunt – singer Sparkle – has been critiqued after the woman claimed the songbird brought her to Kelly and said: “I should rub his head and ask him to take that role [of godfather] in my life.” She suggested that her parents also approved, Kelly took on the position, and the sexual relationship between her and Kelly commenced shortly after.
The shocking testimony has left many with harsh words for Sparkle, who is now setting the record straight.
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Sparkle, born Stephanie Edwards, issued a video statement denying the claims.
Though praising her niece for finally cooperating with prosecutors, the singer says that she is at the center of a “family feud.” She insists that her niece’s parents are attempting to use the testimony to malign her name as a means of deflecting from their own complicity and support for Kelly – which she says extended after the infamous tape.
Watch the video: