R. Kelly Wants To Ask Potential Jurors About #MeToo & If They Watched ‘Surviving R Kelly’
Jun. 8 2021, Published 9:59 a.m. ET
R. Kelly wants to ask potential jury members what they think about the #MeToo movement and whether they watched the bombshell documentary featuring his alleged victims.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Kelly’s lawyers submitted a lengthy list of questions they want to ask individuals during jury selection. The disgraced singer’s federal trial is scheduled to start on August 9.
Kelly, who is currently locked up in a Brooklyn jail, is facing charges of racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor, kidnapping and bribery.
In court documents, prosecutors accuse him of running a criminal enterprise with the sole purpose being to recruit young women for him to sexually abuse.
Kelly is facing two separate criminal cases in separate states. The first trial will take place in New York and the second will go down in Illinois.
In the NY indictment, prosecutors brought charges based on testimony and evidence from six alleged victims. They accuse him of abusing young women for decades. He is facing decades in prison if convicted.
The legal team representing Kelly wants to make sure they get a jury who might be sympathetic to the alleged child sex predator and might have negative feelings about the #MeToo movement.
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On the list of questions they want to ask, Kelly’s attorney listed, “Have you supported or participated in the “Me Too” movement in any way? If yes, please generally describe, including any funding provided, events attended, protests participated in, postings or blogs made or responded to, or any other forms of support.”
His team is also curious about their opinion on Kelly himself. One question reads, “Have you ever talked about R Kelly with your family, friends, or co-workers, or discussed it online, for example, on social media? “
"Have you watched or heard any interviews of R Kelly, or any tv shows featuring him, or any specials, or documentaries about R Kelly? Please describe. What were your impressions?," another question on the filing reads.
The motion is clearly a reference to Lifetime's hit documentary Surviving R. Kelly, which featured first-hand accounts from alleged victims with many speaking for the first time publicly.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Kelly's legal team also wants to ask questions on whether the potential jurors have ever had
A judge has yet to rule on Kelly's proposed list of questions.