American singer R. Kelly was recently rushed to the hospital from prison after what his lawyer described as a near-deadly overdose.
His legal team has now filed an emergency request asking the court to release him temporarily from custody, saying his life is in danger.
Kelly, who is 58 years old, is currently serving a 30-year jail sentence in North Carolina for sex trafficking and racketeering. According to reports, he collapsed in his solitary confinement cell on June 13, just three days after being isolated.
His lawyer, Beau Brindley, claimed that the singer was given a dangerously high dose of medication on June 12, while still in solitary. The next day, he reportedly fainted and was taken to Duke University Hospital, where doctors said the medication could have killed him.
“This was no mistake,” Brindley said. “It was a dose that jeopardized his life and nearly ended it.”
Kelly remained in the hospital for two days. Doctors discovered blood clots in both his legs and lungs and recommended emergency surgery. But before the surgery could be done, Brindley said armed officers came into the hospital and took him back to prison, ignoring the doctor’s advice.
“He was taken from the hospital against his will and against the directives of the doctors,” Brindley added. “He was denied the surgery he needs to clear blood clots in his lungs that threaten his life. This happened. Hospital records will confirm it. It is undeniable.”
Kelly’s lawyers are now warning that the prison cannot guarantee his safety. They have already filed two earlier requests for temporary release, but this latest one follows serious health concerns and growing fears for his life.
The motion also included a sworn statement from another inmate, Mikeal Glenn Stine, who claimed that some prison staff and white supremacist groups were planning to kill Kelly to cover up wrongdoings linked to his case. Brindley believes the recent overdose was not an accident but a possible attack following that claim.
After Stine’s statement was made public, prison officials moved Kelly to solitary confinement. Brindley said the conditions there are harsh. The singer reportedly sleeps in a dirty cell with insects, has no access to phone calls or food from the commissary, and has even refused to eat out of fear of being poisoned.
“This is not a theory,” Brindley said. “The hospital records will confirm he was denied urgent care.”
The court is now being asked to urgently approve a furlough to allow Kelly to recover and receive medical attention. His lawyers say if he remains in prison under the current conditions, his life could be at serious risk.
