R&B singer R. Kelly, currently serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking, was rushed to a North Carolina hospital after experiencing an alleged overdose at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner.
According to court filings, Kelly was confined to solitary on June 10 and, two days later, was reportedly given an “overdose quantity” of his prescribed anxiety and sleep medications, administered by prison staff. The singer collapsed in his cell on June 13, suffering dizziness, vision loss, and unconsciousness, and was immediately taken to a hospital.
Kelly’s legal team, led by attorney Beau Brindley, claims the incident followed a “credible plot” involving prison staff who allegedly solicited Aryan Brotherhood inmate Mikeal Glenn Stine to kill Kelly in return for favors. Stine, who is reportedly gravely ill, then refused and disclosed the conspiracy.
While hospitalised, physicians discovered dangerous blood clots in Kelly’s legs and lungs. His attorneys assert he was discharged against medical advice and forced back into solitary confinement without receiving necessary treatment.
The legal team has filed an emergency motion seeking home confinement or a temporary furlough, citing “cruel and unusual punishment.” They’ve also sought clemency from former President Trump.
The hearing is scheduled for June 20. Federal prosecutors have rejected Kelly’s claims, labeling them “fanciful,” “deeply unserious,” and dismissed the request for release, remarking that Kelly is attempting to manipulate the court.
Kelly remains incarcerated in North Carolina and is also serving another 20-year sentence related to child pornography charges.
