R Kelly’s former tour manager has claimed that he bribed a government worker to obtain a fake ID so the singer could marry Aaliyah. Aaliyah was just fifteen years old at the time.
Speaking at the singer’s trial last Friday (August 19), Demitrius Smith said that he paid a government worker $500 for an ID used by R Kelly so that a fifteen year old Aaliyah could marry him.
It was reported that the bribe was paid on 30 August 1994, a day before the marriage licence was issued.
Smith also told the court that the obtaining of the licence was made by Kelly’s “associates” after Aaliyah admitted she was pregnant.
Kelly is facing allegations for sexual abuse, racketeering and bribery. He has denied all charges.
Smith also said that when he pointed out that Aaliyah was “too young”, he was asked “whose side was I on?”.
He added that he “went to the welfare office, and I walked in, and I said: ‘Hey, want to make some money?’”.
The marriage was annulled a few months later. Aaliyah whos full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton was killed in a plane crash in 2001. She is listed as 18 on the marriage certifcate.
R Kelly facing charges
On top of this, R Kelly who’s full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly is also facing trial as a suspected ringleader of a scheme where he recuited underage girls for sex.
He has been in jail since 2019.
Last week, a woman called Jehonda Pace also gave evidence in court against R Kelly. She claimed that the singer also abused her as a minor.
Pace claimed that back in 2009, R Kelly had several sexual encounters with her when she was sixteen years old over a six month period. Pace said she had been intially a fan of an R Kelly MySpace fan club.
She claimed that the singer invited her back to his mansion, where he allegedly told her to take of her clothes, as he was going to “train her” sexually. More on this here.
