R. Kelly Remains on Suicide Watch ‘For His Own Safety,’ Not as a Form of Punishment, US Feds Say

James Xu
By James Xu
July 4, 2022US News
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R. Kelly Remains on Suicide Watch ‘For His Own Safety,’ Not as a Form of Punishment, US Feds Say
Singer R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 17, 2019. (Antonio Perez/Pool via Getty Images)

Federal authorities are pushing back against R. Kelly’s claims that his placement on suicide watch is a form of punishment. Kelly was placed on suicide watch after he was convicted and given a 30-year sentence last Wednesday for using his fame to lure and sexually abuse young women.

The attorney’s office at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, where Kelly is being held, on Saturday stated the decision was “for his own safety” after a psychological assessment was taken.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Speight wrote in a court filing that Kelly’s “current life circumstances undoubtedly bring emotional distress … he is a convicted sex offender who has been sentenced to spend the next three decades in prison.”

“In the immediate future, he faces another federal criminal charge in Chicago for charges related to child pornography,” she continued.

Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, argued that MDC Brooklyn had placed Kelly under suicide watch “solely for punitive purposes and because of his status as a high-profile inmate.” Bonjean claimed Kelly had no thoughts of self-harm, saying “he was mentally fine” and that “he was eager to pursue his appeal,” after he denied wrongdoing.

“Nothing occurred during sentencing that came as a surprise to Mr. Kelly,” she wrote in a lawsuit filed by her. “While the conditions of suicide watch may be appropriate for individuals who are truly at risk of hurting themselves, they are cruel and unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment for individuals who are not suicidal.”

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling songwriter best known for the song “I Believe I Can Fly.” The 55-year-old was found guilty on charges of racketeering, sexual exploitation, kidnapping, bribery, and sex trafficking. He gave no statement or reaction upon hearing his sentence, which included a $100,000 fine.

Scrutiny of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has leveled up ever since Jeffrey Epstein died in his jail cell in 2019. In the early 2000s, he was charged with sexually abusing girls as young as 14 and young women in New York and Florida. As a result of his death, all charges against him were dismissed.

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