**R. Kelly in Hospital After Reported Near-Fatal Overdose in Prison Amid Allegations of Plot to Kill**
Controversy has once again engulfed the disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, after it was revealed through court filings that the star suffered a “near-fatal overdose” while serving his 30-year sentence at a North Carolina federal prison. The incident, outlined in legal documents by Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, occurred earlier this month, and is now at the centre of a larger debate over the convicted artist’s safety behind bars.
R. Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is currently incarcerated for charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. New claims, made public by his legal team, allege that on 10 June, the 58-year-old was placed in isolation with his prescribed anxiety medication. Over the following days, additional medication was administered to him by prison staff. Just three days later, on 13 June, Kelly lost consciousness and required urgent transport to Duke University Hospital. He remained hospitalised for two days before returning to his cell.
According to Mr Brindley, this sequence of events was no accident. In documents submitted to the court, the attorney asserts that the dosage received by Kelly was not only excessive but life-threatening. He wrote: “This was no mistake. It was a dose that jeopardised his life and nearly ended it.” This serious allegation casts a shadow over the conduct of prison staff, and the incident has prompted Kelly’s legal team to once again seek his emergency release from prison.
This marks the third attempt by Kelly’s representatives to secure his early release. The legal moves have intensified as his lawyers say their client is fearful for his life, not just from possible overdoses, but from more sinister threats. Mr Brindley alleges in the latest motion that there has been an active conspiracy within the corrections system to have Kelly killed, and that this conspiracy involves multiple staff from the Bureau of Prisons.
Notably, these legal filings include a sworn statement from another inmate: Mikeal Glenn Stine. Stine, who identifies as a former member and commissioner within the Aryan Brotherhood, alleges that three high-ranking prison officials orchestrated his transfer to the same prison unit as Kelly at Federal Correctional Institution Butner. Stine claims these officials solicited him to murder the singer, promising an escape and the prospect of freedom in exchange. Stine also states that he suffers from terminal cancer and ultimately revealed the alleged plot to Kelly, stating he had no intention to carry it out.
Kelly’s legal team has, in parallel, intensified its lobbying efforts for clemency, reportedly reaching out to associates of former President Donald Trump. They have argued to both media and the courts that Mr Trump is the only person with the authority and “courage” to intervene in Kelly’s case. Their request aligns with other recent high-profile pardon discussions involving former President Trump and fellow entertainers facing serious federal charges.
The conditions under which Kelly is being held have also raised concern. Since the legal filings became public, Kelly has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement and denied access to phone calls and the prison commissary. Mr Brindley tells reporters that his client now fears that his prison meals could be tampered with, so much so that Kelly is reportedly too afraid to eat.
The high-profile case has reignited debate on prisoner safety, particularly for those serving sentences for headline-grabbing crimes. Brindley told press: “He is not safe in federal custody. And to keep him in prison while he is under threat like this is cruel and unusual punishment.”
The future for R. Kelly remains uncertain as legal battles and shocking allegations continue to mount. The U.S. Department of Justice has not commented publicly on the claims. As pressure mounts both within and outside the legal system, the case highlights significant concerns regarding inmate safety and the processes for seeking executive clemency in the most serious of circumstances.