Things reportedly did not turn out well Saturday night for what was apparently one of the first paid events for disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, who claims to be broke while defending himself in a criminal case involving 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
SEE ALSO: R. Kelly Withdrew Request To Travel To Dubai For Performances
Ticket prices originally set at $100 were reduced to $50 at the Springfield, Illinois venue, according to reporting from Brittany Hardaway, who added that turnout was low and fans disappointed.
Earlier on Saturday, Kelly announced the event and urged the media “to take it easy” on him in an Instagram post, saying, “this is how I got to get paid right now.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv7sD-mHJMQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kelly was charged on Feb. 22 with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse for allegedly assaulting three underage girls and one adult woman. The charges came after the release of the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary.
The latest sex crime charges he is facing stem from attorney Michael Avenatti giving purported child porn videos to prosecutors that featured the singer. Avenatti said he was hired last April in connection to multiple allegations of Kelly sexually assaulting minors. He claimed to have videotaped evidence, which, despite their similarities, were apparently not the same video footage that got Kelly indicted in 2002 — and acquitted in 2008 — for child porn.
His lawyer has told the court that Kelly is broke. He had to rely on supporters to help post $100,000 bail after he was first locked up.
“This is someone who should be wealthy,” defense attorney Steve Greenberg told the court, pointing to bad contracts and mismanagement of money as part of the reasons that Kelly’s pockets are supposedly empty.
Just a few weeks ago, Kelly said he was scheduled to travel to Dubai for performances and to meet members of Dubai’s ruling family. He asked the judge for permission to travel there but later withdrew that request.
The Associated Press reported, “Attorney Steve Greenberg on Monday (April 1) withdrew his request for Kelly to travel, days after he asked the judge to hold off on his request for Kelly to be allowed to fly to Dubai for several concerts there. After the hearing, Greenberg said there was a possibility that Kelly could return to court with another request to travel but that he would leave that to Kelly’s entertainment lawyer.”
That said, the powers that be in Dubai denied there was a performance scheduled or that he would meet the royal family.
SEE ALSO:
R Kelly’s Net Worth Has Plummeted, But He’s Still Getting Paid
R. Kelly’s Lawyer Blames Jussie Smollett For Why The Courts Will Be Harder On The Singer
