In this June 6, 2019, file photo, musician R. Kelly leaves the Leighton Criminal Court building in Chicago. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)
A more-than-a-decade-old video of R. Kelly performing in Ethiopia has resurfaced and gone viral on social media. It attracted attention because R. Kelly, who is serving time for sex crimes in multiple states, can be seen and heard in the video trying to recruit young women from the audience.
The R&B singer was sentenced last year to a total of 31 years in prison, marking the culmination of a legal saga marred by decades of sexual abuse allegations, lawsuits, and criminal charges. The 57-year-old artist, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faced convictions related to child pornography, racketeering, and sex trafficking.
In 2021, R. Kelly was convicted under the Mann Act and for racketeering. This initial conviction set the stage for the subsequent legal battle unfolding in 2022. Last year, the singer faced charges related to child pornography and enticing a minor. A Chicago jury delivered a verdict, finding him guilty of three counts of production of child pornography and three counts of enticing a minor into criminal sexual activity. This was after being convicted in a New York federal court on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
But on Dec. 31 2010, for a New Year’s Eve concert in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, R. Kelly seemed more interested in meeting women, but he noted they had to be 18 years old. He even had one of his stage crew to hold up a sign reading “18,” meaning any new female recruits had to be at least 18 years old. As an X/Twitter user noted, he even insultingly asked that only women who had had their “shots” step up.
Use SLJ tweeted, “Asking those Ethiopian women if they got their shots is wild!!!”
According to Tigrai Online, a highly-promoted concert was at Ethiopia’s top luxury hotel Sheraton Addis.
In this June 6, 2019, file photo, musician R. Kelly leaves the Leighton Criminal Court building in Chicago. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)
