R. Kelly's Victims File New Lawsuit Over Unpaid $10 Million in Damages
Six victims of R. Kelly have filed a new lawsuit claiming the imprisoned R&B artist still owes them nearly $10 million in damages from a 2022 judgment.
R. Kelly performing on concert stage
Photo Credit: R. Kelly at Groovin in the Park 2017 by comechatwitmi / CC by 3.0
The plaintiffs - Lizette Martinez, Lisa Van Allen, Kelly Rodgers, Faith Rodgers, Roderick Gartell, and Gem Pratts - who were featured in "Surviving R. Kelly," have received less than $500,000 of the $10.3 million judgment awarded to them.
The Manhattan Supreme Court filing names R. Kelly, his former manager Donnell Russell, Universal Music, Universal Music-Z Tunes, and IndyBuild as defendants. The lawsuit claims that Universal Music, despite ending their co-publishing agreement with Kelly in 2019, remains obligated to collect and remit music publishing royalties that should go to the victims.
The judgment includes:
- $5.1 million in compensatory damages
- $4.5 million in punitive damages
- $2,450.30 per day in interest
Kelly, 58, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence at Butner Federal Prison in North Carolina following his 2022 conviction on charges including sex trafficking, racketeering based on sexual exploitation of children, and producing child pornography. This conviction came after years of allegations dating back to the 1990s, despite his acquittal on child pornography charges in 2008.
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