R. Kelly’s girlfriends are raising money to get him Michael Jackson’s former defense team: Report
FOX Business’ Liz Claman reports that singer R. Kelly was denied bail in a federal sex trafficking case.
Disgraced R&B artist R. Kelly was arrested last month on a 13-count federal indictment alleging racketeering, forced labor and, most notably, sexually exploiting children.
Now, two of his self-proclaimed girlfriends — Azriel Clary and Joycelyn Savage — are trying to raise money to get him a good legal team.
According to TMZ, the two women are working together to build a defense fund big enough to hire Tom Mesereau, the same attorney who got Michael Jackson acquitted in his child molestation trial in 2005.
One of the money-raising projects is a book deal in the works, and another is acquiring more media exposure. The two have hired a team to reach out to media outlets for paid interviews. None are confirmed so far but there is some bubbling interest, per TMZ.
The cost of Kelly’s trial could be exorbitant: His New York federal case alone could require forensic experts, sex-trafficking specialists, private instigators and other authorities.
Kelly also has outstanding cases in Illinois and Minnesota.
The singer is reportedly no longer making money from concerts, was ordered to pay his ex-wife more than $30,000 a month as part of their 2009 divorce settlement, and spent three days in county jail in March for failing to pay $160,000 in child support.
Plus, Kelly has already financed his rent in the Chicago Trump Tower, where Clary and Savage are currently living, through the end of the year.
In a video posted in July, Clary said, “We want to say thank you to all of Robert’s fans. We see the support that you guys are showing him all over social media — Twitter, Instagram, everything. We see you guys going in and we are just so thankful for the prayers, for the love, for the support, everything that you guys are saying and doing ... to help him.”