R Kelly reportedly married Aaliyah when she was 15-years-old in order to avoid prosecution for his alleged offences.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, witnesses told federal prosecutors that R Kelly married Aaliyah in 1994 to avoid criminal charges and to stop her testifying against him.
Prosecutors alleged that R Kelly planned with others to get fake ID documents for Aaliyah in order for the marriage to go ahead, before it was reportedly annulled a year later by her parents.
It is also claimed that R Kelly managed to smuggle a letter into jail last year, as well as make a phone call using an ‘unmonitored line’, and this is why prosecutors say he and his lawyers shouldn’t be told the identities of two of his alleged victims in the case he faces in Brooklyn, New York.
It is claimed that Aaliyah, who died in 2001, is referred to a ‘Jane Doe #1’ in the court filing, with the facts alleged in the case making it clear it is her.
Prosecutors wrote: ‘Witnesses have advised the government that the defendant engaged in this bribery scheme to obtain a marriage license so he could quickly and secretly marry Jane Doe #1 to avoid criminal charges for engaging in a sexual relationship with Jane Doe #1, who was a minor at the time.
‘Specifically, the defendant believed that his marriage to Jane Doe #1 would prevent her from being able to testify against him in the event he were prosecuted for his criminal sexual relationship with her.’
R Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, argued that ‘the defense cannot conduct any investigation or adequately prepare for trial without knowing who each of the supposed “victims” are,’ adding that the singer ‘simply has no means or method by which to engage in any obstructive conduct.’
R Kelly is currently in Cook County Jail in Chicago awaiting trial.
Metro.co.uk has reached out to R Kelly’s reps for comment.
Got a showbiz story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
