Convicted singer R. Kelly was recently rushed to hospital from prison following what his lawyers claim was an intentional overdose administered by staff, according to court documents. His legal team alleges this incident is part of an ongoing plot by Bureau of Prisons (BOP) officials aimed at his death.
The 58-year-old, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is serving lengthy sentences at the Federal Correctional Institute in Butner, North Carolina, after being convicted of sex trafficking, racketeering, and child sexual abuse imagery charges in 2021 and 2022.
Lawyers Allege Intentional Overdose and Hospitalization
According to court filings made by Kelly’s legal team, including lawyer Beau Brindley, the Grammy-winning singer was hospitalized on Friday, June 13. This occurred after prison staff allegedly gave him an “overdose quantity” of his prescribed medication for anxiety and sleep on the evening of Wednesday, June 12.
The lawyers claim Kelly woke on Friday morning feeling faint, dizzy, and seeing black spots. He reportedly attempted to stand but collapsed, then crawled to his cell door before losing consciousness. He was transported by ambulance to Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. During the ambulance ride, Kelly allegedly overheard an officer remark, “This is going to open a whole new can of worms.”
At the hospital, Kelly’s legal team claims he was informed that the amount of medication administered was an overdose that threatened his life. He remained hospitalized for two days.
Claim of Forcible Removal and Denied Life-Saving Surgery
Adding a critical new dimension to their claims, Kelly’s lawyers further allege that he was forcibly removed from Duke University Hospital on Sunday, June 15, against medical advice. They state that while hospitalized, doctors discovered extensive and potentially life-threatening blood clots in both of his legs and his lungs.
According to the legal filings, doctors recommended a seven-day hospital stay and had scheduled surgery to address these blood clots. However, BOP officers allegedly arrived and removed Kelly “against his will and against the directives of the doctors.” His lawyers argue that by denying this necessary surgery, the Bureau of Prisons is allowing a potentially fatal condition to persist, placing Kelly’s life in immediate jeopardy.
Connecting Health Incidents to Alleged Assassination Plot
Kelly’s legal team frames the alleged overdose and denial of surgery within a broader narrative of an ongoing “assassination plot” orchestrated by BOP officials.
Just days before the alleged overdose, Kelly was reportedly placed in solitary confinement on June 10 “against his will.” This move came shortly after his lawyers filed an emergency motion on June 7 claiming that three BOP officials had devised a plan to have another inmate murder Kelly.
That earlier motion specifically alleged that inmate Mikeal Glenn Stine, identified as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang with a terminal cancer diagnosis, was offered the chance “to live out the last of those months as a free man” in exchange for killing the singer.
Kelly’s lawyers argue that the actions related to the alleged overdose and denied surgery demonstrate the officials’ intent to see him dead before potential “crimes committed against him in his cases are exposed.” They have requested the court order Kelly’s release from prison to home detention and are even seeking intervention from President Donald Trump, suggesting he “may be the only person who can save the life of R. Kelly,” building on a previous pardon plea.
Official Responses
The Bureau of Prisons has issued a standard statement regarding the matter. A spokesperson said that “for privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any incarcerated individual, including medical and health-related issues.” They added that the BOP does not comment on pending litigation or matters subject to legal proceedings.
Federal prosecutors have vehemently rejected Kelly’s claims. In written responses to his motions for release, they have characterized his allegations as “fanciful,” “theatrical,” and a “fanciful conspiracy.”
Prosecutors argue that Kelly’s claims make a “mockery of the harm suffered by Kelly’s victims.” They have described him as an “abuser and a master manipulator” who “has never taken responsibility for his years of sexually abusing children, and he probably never will.” Prosecutors oppose his release, contending that granting it would set a dangerous precedent.
This latest development follows previous concerns raised by Kelly’s legal team about his safety and medical care while in federal custody.
