R&B singer R. Kelly was recently hospitalized after an alleged overdose of medication, which his lawyers say was given to him by prison staff. This incident comes as his legal team claims there is a detailed assassination plan against the singer and continues to push for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors, however, have strongly criticized Kelly’s attempts to be released, calling them “deeply unserious” and “repugnant.”
The events that led to Kelly’s hospitalization started when he was placed in solitary confinement. As found by All Hip Hop, Kelly’s lawyers says the singer had his anxiety medication with him, but that same day, prison staff supposedly entered his cell and told him to take more medication, which he reportedly did. This exchange was said to have been recorded on camera. Just two days later, Kelly reported feeling extremely unwell, with symptoms including dizziness, faintness, and black spots in his vision before passing out.
He was then rushed to Duke University Hospital for emergency care. While being treated at Duke University Hospital, doctors found blood clots in both of Kelly’s legs and lungs and recommended immediate surgery to treat these dangerous conditions. However, his lawyer says Kelly was quickly taken out of the hospital against medical advice and without getting the needed surgery.
R. Kelly supposedly being targetted in prison
Prison officers, reportedly armed, entered his hospital room and moved him, preventing him from receiving the critical procedure to remove the blood clots. After being taken from the hospital, the singer with low net worth was reportedly put back in solitary confinement.
His legal team has made serious accusations of a plan to kill Kelly within the prison system. These claims are backed by a sworn statement from another inmate, Mikeal Glenn Stine, who identifies as a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. Stine says that three high-ranking Bureau of Prisons officials asked him to murder Kelly while they were both in custody, offering him a chance to escape and live as a “free man” in exchange.
R. KELLY OVERDOSES, RUSHED TO HOSPITAL AS LAWYER CLAIMS A PLOT TO K*LL HIM IN PRISON IS UNDERWAY.
— Poetik Flakko (@FlakkoPoetik) June 17, 2025pic.twitter.com/VzfPST2qVn
Stine further claims that after being moved to Kelly’s unit in March, one of the officials repeated the order to carry out the killing. After watching Kelly for several months, Stine says he changed his mind and told the singer about the alleged murder plot. Kelly’s lawyers also say that in June, they learned of another Aryan Brotherhood member who officials supposedly instructed to kill both Kelly and Stine.
In response to these serious concerns about Kelly’s safety and health, his lawyers have filed an emergency request demanding his immediate release. At the same time, Kelly’s legal team is working to get a pardon from President Donald Trump. They say they are in talks with several people close to the White House and President Trump, arguing that their client cannot wait for the courts to clear his name due to what they call corruption in his prosecution.
R. Kelly, 58, is currently serving a 30-year federal prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 in Brooklyn federal court. He was found guilty of multiple crimes, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Public anger over his sexual misconduct grew significantly after the rise of the MeToo movement and reached its peak following the release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly.
