R-Kelly Hospitalized After Alleged Overmedication in Prison

R-Kelly has reportedly been hospitalized after allegedly receiving an overdose of medication while in solitary confinement at a North Carolina prison, according to a new legal filing from his attorneys. The 58-year-old disgraced R&B star, whose real name is Robert Kelly, is currently serving two federal sentences for sex trafficking, racketeering, and child pornography.

The incident occurred at the Butner Correctional Facility, where Kelly is serving time until at least December 21, 2045, according to the Bureau of Prisons.

In court documents obtained by CNN, Kelly’s legal team claims that prison staff gave him excessive medication while he was in solitary confinement, leading to a medical emergency. According to the filing, Kelly had been placed in isolation on June 10, just hours after he filed an earlier emergency motion alleging a prison plot to have another inmate harm him.

The lawyers say Kelly was given his usual dose of medication on June 12, but was then told to take additional medication by staff. He allegedly awoke on June 13 feeling faint and dizzy, seeing black spots before collapsing. He was reportedly rushed to Duke University Hospital, where he spent two days and was told he had suffered an overdose of medication that endangered his life.

The legal team further alleges that doctors advised additional treatment for blood clot issues, but Kelly was forced to leave the hospital and return to prison prematurely, “against medical advice and his will.”

Federal prosecutors have dismissed the motion as baseless, calling the claims of a conspiracy “fanciful” and describing the filing as “deeply unserious and theatrical.”

“This Court should not allow Kelly to turn its docket into a grocery store checkout aisle tabloid,” prosecutors stated in their response, urging the court to disregard what they see as a misuse of the legal system.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing “privacy, safety, and security reasons.”

Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, revealed that the defense is now seeking presidential intervention, believing former President Donald Trump may be sympathetic to the singer’s legal plight.

“Whether a pardon or commutation, we are looking for freedom for R. Kelly,” Brindley told CNN. “I believe President Trump is the one person who has the power and the will to stand up to people like this.”
R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in 2021 in New York for racketeering and sex trafficking. In 2023, he received a second sentence of 20 years in a Chicago courtroom for child pornography and enticement of a minor. Most of the sentences are being served concurrently.

Once hailed as an R&B icon, Kelly’s hits like “I Believe I Can Fly”, “Ignition (Remix)”, and “Bump N’ Grind” earned him three Grammy Awards and 26 nominations over his career — but his legacy has since been overshadowed by his criminal convictions and a growing list of disturbing allegations.