Embattled R\&B singer R. Kelly was reportedly rushed to Duke University Hospital on June 13 after allegedly overdosing on medication while in solitary confinement at a federal prison in Butner, North Carolina. The 58-year-old is currently serving a 30-year sentence following his conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking.
According to newly filed court documents, Kelly’s legal team claims he collapsed after being given dangerously high doses of anxiety and sleep medication without proper medical oversight. The incident came just three days after he filed an emergency motion expressing fears for his life, citing alleged death threats from white supremacist inmates.
His attorneys allege that Kelly was subjected to punitive treatment by prison officials, including being placed in solitary confinement and “loaded up with medication,” following the filing of that motion. While hospitalised, doctors reportedly discovered life-threatening blood clots in his lungs and legs. However, he was allegedly removed from the hospital prematurely, before surgery could be completed.
The case took an even more shocking turn when Kelly’s lawyers alleged a **murder-for-hire plot** orchestrated within the prison. They claim that officials attempted to recruit a known Aryan Brotherhood member, Mikeal Glenn Stine, to kill Kelly in exchange for leniency in his sentence. According to the filings, Stine initially agreed but later backed out, choosing instead to warn Kelly’s legal team about the alleged plot.
“This man is in danger, and nothing about how he’s being treated is standard,” said Beau Brindley, Kelly’s lead attorney. “He was left with no choice but to seek help outside the system.”
In a controversial move, Kelly’s legal team is now appealing directly to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to intervene or consider granting clemency. “There is no other option,” Brindley wrote in the petition. “President Trump may be the only person who can save R. Kelly’s life.”
Federal prosecutors, however, have dismissed the allegations as “fanciful conspiracy,” accusing the singer of concocting an elaborate narrative to escape accountability for his crimes. The Bureau of Prisons has yet to issue an official response but has maintained that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Kelly’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 20, where a judge will hear arguments on whether he should be removed from solitary confinement and potentially released to home detention due to alleged threats and medical negligence.
The situation has sparked renewed concern over inmate safety, the misuse of solitary confinement, and the quality of medical care within the U.S. federal prison system, particularly for high-profile inmates.
R. Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly ,was convicted in 2021 on multiple counts, including sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping, and forced labour. He is currently appealing his conviction while simultaneously facing a series of legal, health, and now security challenges behind bars.
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