R. Kelly Allegedly Refused to Have Cellmate as Lawyer Claimed He's in Solitary after Chicago Arrest

Newly disclosed prison records reveal that R. Kelly refused to take a cellmate even as his lawyer claims the disgraced singer is in solitary confinement.

Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, claimed in a filing last week that the singer has been held in solitary confinement since July 11.

According to the Chicago Tribune, uncovered records from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago proves he has a cellmate in the special housing unit he is being kept.

Kelly reportedly refused to take a cellmate at first and was written up for disobeying the order. Investigators also noted that he had a “poor attitude throughout [the] investigation.”

Responding to the allegation, Kelly had said: “I was told I didn’t have to take a cellie and I have too much going on to worry about" an incident report.

Federal prosecutors made this known while responding to a motion filed early last month by Kelly’s lawyers asking that he be granted bail so he can leave jail.

RESPONSE TO THE MOTION

Kelly is currently being held without bail on a 13-count federal indictment in Chicago alleging, among other things, that the singer and two of his associates were involved in child pornography and the manipulation of his 2008 child pornography trial by threatening and paying off victims and witnesses.

Kelly’s motion to be granted bail has since been rejected, and so has the filing for him to be released from “solitary confinement,” which was made on August 29.

STATEMENT FROM THE U.S. ATTORNEY

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, a 10-page filing from Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Krull addressed the singer’s request.

“(Kelly) appears to want special treatment because of his celebrity status,” Krull reportedly wrote, adding:

“Suffice it to say that (Kelly) is not in solitary confinement as he has had a cellmate for quite some time despite his initial refusal. In fact, he has had more than one cellmate so far.”

R. KELLY'S LAWYER SPEAKS

Following Krull’s response, Greenberg told the publication that “solitary confinement doesn’t mean that you’re, like in the movies, that you’re locked like a POW in a dark hole.”

“Solitary confinement means you’re locked up 24 hours a day in a cell. You have no TV. You have no (recreation). You have no interaction with other people. …So the fact that you might have one other person in your cell who’s there because they can’t follow the rules and are being punished doesn’t change it from solitary confinement.”

DEFENDING KELLY

Greenberg also made a case for Kelly’s initial refusal to take a cellmate, telling the Sun-Times that the particular inmate was being punished for making a makeshift knife.

“I think it’s an oxymoron to say, ‘We’re holding someone in solitary for their protection and then give them a dangerous roommate,’” the lawyer argued.

LEGAL TROUBLES

Kelly, 52, faced renewed sexual abuse allegations after the January premiere of Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly.” The docuseries, which aired in parts, detailed Kelly’s alleged physical and sexual abuse of several women including his ex-wife.

In February, the “Happy People” singer was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse towards four women, three of them underage at the time it happened. Three months later, Cook County prosecutors slammed him with 11 new sexual assault charges.

Most recently, in August, Kelly was charged with prostitution and solicitation in Minnesota for allegedly paying a 17-year-old girl $200 to dance naked with him in 2001.