R. Kelly Overdosed in Prison, Rushed to Hospital After Alleged Plot to Kill Him

R. Kelly
Antonio Perez - Pool via Getty Images

R. Kelly was hospitalized after suffering a reported overdose in a North Carolina prison, with his attorney alleging the incident was the result of a deliberate attempt to harm the disgraced singer.

According to an emergency motion filed June 16 in Illinois federal court, seen by AllHipHop, Kelly, 58, collapsed in his solitary confinement cell at FCI Butner after being administered what his lawyer described as a dangerously excessive dose of medication. The motion marks the third request from his legal team seeking temporary release to home confinement, citing growing concerns for his safety behind bars.

Lawyer Alleges Attempted Murder, Describes Inhumane Conditions

Court records state that Kelly was placed in isolation on June 10. Two days later, prison officials provided him with another prescription medication. He was dizzied, went blind, lost consciousness, and was taken in an ambulance to Duke University Hospital. The doctors thought the dose he had taken was life-threatening, and they kept him under observation for two days.

Attorney Beau B. Brindley said the overdose came "within two days of the filing of his motion," adding that Bureau of Prisons officials administered "an amount of medication that significantly exceeded a safe dose and caused Mr. Kelly to overdose, putting his life in jeopardy."

While hospitalized, physicians also discovered blood clots in Kelly's lungs and legs and recommended surgery. However, Brindley claimed armed officers entered his hospital room and removed him against medical advice, denying him the procedure.

"He was taken from the hospital against his will and against the directives of the doctors," Brindley stated. "He was denied the surgery he needs to clear blood clots in his lungs that threaten his life."

Kelly's team further alleges that prison officials and white supremacist groups are conspiring to kill him, citing a sworn declaration from another inmate, Mikeal Glenn Stine. The singer has since been returned to solitary confinement, where, according to Brindley, he sleeps in unsanitary conditions and fears for his life, refusing to eat due to concerns of being poisoned.

Federal Prosecutors Dismiss Murder Plot Claim as 'Deeply Unserious'

Federal prosecutors, however, pushed back on Kelly's claims. In court filings seen by the Chicago Tribune, the government said the allegations of an assassination plot were "repugnant" and "deeply unserious." They also argued that the judge overseeing the matter lacks jurisdiction to approve Kelly's release.

Kelly is serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking, along with a separate 20-year sentence for child pornography charges in Chicago.

Despite the court's resistance, Kelly's legal team is now seeking a presidential pardon. "We are engaged in conversations with multiple persons close to the White House and to President Trump," his attorneys said in a statement, claiming their client "does not have the luxury to wait for vindication from the Courts."

A hearing on the emergency motion is scheduled for Friday.

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