R Kelly prison collapse leads to shocking murder plot claims as singer’s lawyers allege overdose and threats by prison officials. US prosecutors deny conspiracy

R Kelly prison collapse has triggered a storm of controversy, with his legal team claiming that prison officials plotted to murder the disgraced singer through an orchestrated overdose and gang violence.

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The claims, outlined in court filings this week, follow a string of shocking allegations involving federal prison staff and white supremacist inmates.

Kelly, 58, is currently serving concurrent sentences totalling 30 years at a federal facility in Butner, North Carolina. The Grammy-winning artist was convicted in 2021 and 2022 for multiple child sex crimes, including the production of child abuse images and sex trafficking.

According to his legal representatives, Kelly collapsed in custody and was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed blood clots in his lungs.

His lawyer, Beau Brindley, stated that the singer was given an intentional medication overdose. “These people did overdose him. They did leave him with blood clots in his lungs and remove him from a hospital that sought to do surgery to remove them,” Brindley claimed in the latest filing.

Even more disturbing are the lawyers’ accusations that officials at the Bureau of Prisons conspired with a white supremacist gang, the Aryan Brotherhood, to arrange Kelly’s death.

They allege that these efforts were designed to prevent him from disclosing damaging information about prison authorities. The legal team claims that following the initial filing, Kelly was placed in solitary confinement.

A declaration from a known gang leader is among the documents presented to support the motion. Kelly’s attorneys are now requesting his temporary release under home detention while these claims are investigated.

Government prosecutors have dismissed the allegations as “repugnant” and lacking any credible basis. They argue that the Chicago court has no jurisdiction to alter Kelly’s incarceration terms, given that his convictions span both Illinois and New York.

“Kelly has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will,” prosecutors said in a rebuttal filing. “Undeterred, Kelly now asks this Court to release him from incarceration indefinitely under the guise of a fanciful conspiracy.”

The Bureau of Prisons has declined to comment on the specifics, citing policy around ongoing legal matters and inmate safety.

R. Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, rose to global fame with chart-topping hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Ignition (Remix).” His decades-long career was tainted by persistent allegations of abuse, which gained renewed attention following the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly.

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Despite multiple failed appeals, including one to the US Supreme Court, Kelly continues to protest his convictions and has previously appealed to former President Donald Trump for clemency. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday in Chicago.