bluphiiijsu
Creative Director
February 8, 2002BY JIM DEROGATIS AND ABDON M. PALLASCH STAFF
REPORTERS
Chicago police are investigating whether R&B superstar R. Kelly--
part of
today's opening act at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City--had
sex
with an
underage girl and videotaped the illegal act.A 26-minute, 39-second
videotape, which was sent anonymously to the Sun-Times last week,
shows
the
singer-songwriter performing various sex acts with the underage
girl.Kelly
was the halftime act at Soldier Field during the Bears- Eagles game
about
three weeks ago, singing his "The World's Greatest" single from the
recent
movie "Ali."Allegations of sex with underage girls have dogged
Kelly
throughout his career, including his brief marriage to his
then-15-year-old
protege, Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in August. The girl in
the
video,
now 17, was identified by her aunt, who said that her niece would
have
been
14 at the time the tape was made, based on her appearance. Kelly
can
also be
heard on the tape referring to the girl by her first name.The names
of
the
girl and her aunt are being withheld by the Sun-Times to protect
the
family's
privacy, although they are known to police.Chicago police first
began
investigating allegations about Kelly and the girl three years ago.
At
the
time, both the girl and her parents denied that she was having sex
with
Kelly.Without hard evidence or eyewitness testimony, police and
prosecutors
were unable to press charges. Now, with the video, authorities tell
the
Sun-Times they are more optimistic about building a case against
Kelly.Illinois state statute prohibits adult men from having sex
with
girls
under 17. It is a felony to videotape a sexual act with anyone
under 18,
prosecutors said.Kelly's attorney, John M. Touhy, said the video is
a
forgery."Any tape you have is a fake, and we find the timing of
these
events
to be extremely suspicious,'' Touhysaid. Of the ongoing
investigation,
the
attorney said, "I would imagine that the police will do their
job.''A
professional video maker told the Sun-Times the chances of
fabricating a
phony video that goes on for that long with Kelly's image and voice
are
"Slim
to none--26 minutes of putting someone else's head on someone's
body,
you're
talking about hundreds of thousands of hours of frame-by-frame
manipulation
to make that work."Born and raised on the South Side, Robert S.
Kelly,
35, is
the most successful R&B performer from Chicago in the last 30
years. He
has
sold more than 20 million albums, and he scored a massive worldwide
hit
with
the anthemic 1997 single, "I Believe I Can Fly.''According to court
records
and interviews first published in a Sun-Times expose in December
2000,
Kelly
has repeatedly used his fame, wealth and influence as a pop
superstar to
meet
teenage girls and have sex with them.Kelly has twice been sued by
Chicago
women who claim they suffered personal injuries and severe
emotional
harm
because of their relationships with him.Tiffany Hawkins sued Kelly
for
$10
million in late 1996, charging that he convinced her to drop out of
school
and have sex with him when she was 15, and that he encouraged her
to
participate in group sex with him and other underage girls.Kelly
met
Hawkins
when he went back to his alma mater, the Kenwood Academy in Hyde
Park,
to
speak to the school choir. The girl was a freshman at the school
when
they
met.Sources said the Hawkins suit was settled for $250,000 in
January
1998,
shortly after Hawkins gave a seven-hour deposition in the case. The
Sun-Times
spoke to a friend of Hawkins who confirmed Hawkins' charges and
said
Kelly
had sex with them together when both choir girls were underage.Even
as
the
Sun-Times was writing about these allegations, the singer was
continuing
an
illicit relationship with a 17-year-old, according to a civil suit
filed
in
Cook County Circuit Court in August."During my relationship with
Robert
Kelly, I lost my virginity to him," Tracy Sampson said in her
suit. "I
was
lied to by him. I was coerced into receiving oral sex from a girl I
did
not
want to have sex with. I was often treated as his personal sex
object
and
cast aside. He would tell me to come to his studio and have sex
with him
then
tell me to go. He often tried to control every aspect of my life
including
who I would see and where I would go."Sampson's lawsuit was filed
in
August
by the same attorney who represented Hawkins, Susan E. Loggans.
Sampson,
an
aspiring rapper who goes by the stage name "Royalty," graduated
high
school
at age 16 and enrolled at Columbia College.In April 2000, Sampson
became
an
intern at Epic Records. A month later, she met Kelly and began
having
sex
with him at a recording studio that he partially owns, Chicago Trax
at
865 N.
Larrabee, the suit states.Kelly brought the girl with him to
Orlando,
Fla.,
and other places to continue the affair, the suit charges.
Sampson's
lawyer
offers hotel phone records to back up the claim. Even though the
girl
was 17,
the fact that Kelly was in "a position of authority" over her makes
the
relationship illegal, the suit states.Since the first story about
Kelly
ran a
year ago, "We have been contacted by other women," Loggans
said. "Other
women
have come forward who have wanted to provide factual support to our
clients."Kelly has denied having sex with Sampson in court papers
filed
in
response to her suit.In 1994, Kelly illegally married Aaliyah, then
15,
shortly after producing her debut album, "Age Ain't Nothing But A
Number.''
The marriage was quickly annulled once Aaliyah's family and the
public
found
out. Aaliyah died in a plane crash last August.In 1996, Kelly
married a
22-year-old dancer from his touring troupe. The couple have two
children
and
maintain several homes in Chicago, including the location where the
aunt
said
the videotape was made, a wood-paneled sauna room in one of his
apartments.Kelly told Sampson's lawyers in October that he now
lives in
Olympia Fields.After the Sun-Times story ran in December 2000,
another
videotape was anonymously sent to the newspaper. It appeared to
show
Kelly
having sex with a different woman, whose age and identity have not
been
determined. Police have also investigated that videotape.In both
videotapes,
Kelly appears to be very conscious of the camera, looking at it and
adjusting
the angle several times.In the most recent tape, the underage girl
refers to
Kelly as "Daddy" while they have sex. The sex acts include
intercourse,
fellatio and urination. A television show plays new release music
videos
including "Let's have a Party Tonight" by the Backstreet Boys
and "Too
Much"
by the Spice Girls, which were hits in late 1998/early 1999. That
would
have
made the girl 14 at the time. An advertisement can be heard
for "The
Money
Store," which closed in 2000.It is not clear for whom Kelly would
have
made
the tapes.Asked if Kelly is aware of any videotapes of him having
sexual
relations with women, Touhy said, "I don't think it's any of your
business.''Touhy declined an invitation to view the tape.Kelly is
hardly
the
first celebrity to be accused of taking advantage of young girls.
Gary
Glitter, Rob Lowe, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roman Polanski,
Rolling
Stone Bill Wyman and even the legendary Errol Flynn all have been
written
about in this paper and others for allegedly having trysts with
minors.Kelly's spokespeople have denied that the singer has had
sexual
relations with underage girls. They point to his record of
philanthropy
in
the community and discredit allegations against him as an unwelcome
byproduct
of his wealth and celebrity."Mr. Kelly is at the top of his
career,''
said
his attorney, Touhy. "He has a hit song out right now, he performed
at
the
NFC title game, and he's performing at the Olympics. In light of
those
events, I believe you have to have serious questions in your mind
about
the
motives of people who sent you that forged tape.''
REPORTERS
Chicago police are investigating whether R&B superstar R. Kelly--
part of
today's opening act at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City--had
sex
with an
underage girl and videotaped the illegal act.A 26-minute, 39-second
videotape, which was sent anonymously to the Sun-Times last week,
shows
the
singer-songwriter performing various sex acts with the underage
girl.Kelly
was the halftime act at Soldier Field during the Bears- Eagles game
about
three weeks ago, singing his "The World's Greatest" single from the
recent
movie "Ali."Allegations of sex with underage girls have dogged
Kelly
throughout his career, including his brief marriage to his
then-15-year-old
protege, Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in August. The girl in
the
video,
now 17, was identified by her aunt, who said that her niece would
have
been
14 at the time the tape was made, based on her appearance. Kelly
can
also be
heard on the tape referring to the girl by her first name.The names
of
the
girl and her aunt are being withheld by the Sun-Times to protect
the
family's
privacy, although they are known to police.Chicago police first
began
investigating allegations about Kelly and the girl three years ago.
At
the
time, both the girl and her parents denied that she was having sex
with
Kelly.Without hard evidence or eyewitness testimony, police and
prosecutors
were unable to press charges. Now, with the video, authorities tell
the
Sun-Times they are more optimistic about building a case against
Kelly.Illinois state statute prohibits adult men from having sex
with
girls
under 17. It is a felony to videotape a sexual act with anyone
under 18,
prosecutors said.Kelly's attorney, John M. Touhy, said the video is
a
forgery."Any tape you have is a fake, and we find the timing of
these
events
to be extremely suspicious,'' Touhysaid. Of the ongoing
investigation,
the
attorney said, "I would imagine that the police will do their
job.''A
professional video maker told the Sun-Times the chances of
fabricating a
phony video that goes on for that long with Kelly's image and voice
are
"Slim
to none--26 minutes of putting someone else's head on someone's
body,
you're
talking about hundreds of thousands of hours of frame-by-frame
manipulation
to make that work."Born and raised on the South Side, Robert S.
Kelly,
35, is
the most successful R&B performer from Chicago in the last 30
years. He
has
sold more than 20 million albums, and he scored a massive worldwide
hit
with
the anthemic 1997 single, "I Believe I Can Fly.''According to court
records
and interviews first published in a Sun-Times expose in December
2000,
Kelly
has repeatedly used his fame, wealth and influence as a pop
superstar to
meet
teenage girls and have sex with them.Kelly has twice been sued by
Chicago
women who claim they suffered personal injuries and severe
emotional
harm
because of their relationships with him.Tiffany Hawkins sued Kelly
for
$10
million in late 1996, charging that he convinced her to drop out of
school
and have sex with him when she was 15, and that he encouraged her
to
participate in group sex with him and other underage girls.Kelly
met
Hawkins
when he went back to his alma mater, the Kenwood Academy in Hyde
Park,
to
speak to the school choir. The girl was a freshman at the school
when
they
met.Sources said the Hawkins suit was settled for $250,000 in
January
1998,
shortly after Hawkins gave a seven-hour deposition in the case. The
Sun-Times
spoke to a friend of Hawkins who confirmed Hawkins' charges and
said
Kelly
had sex with them together when both choir girls were underage.Even
as
the
Sun-Times was writing about these allegations, the singer was
continuing
an
illicit relationship with a 17-year-old, according to a civil suit
filed
in
Cook County Circuit Court in August."During my relationship with
Robert
Kelly, I lost my virginity to him," Tracy Sampson said in her
suit. "I
was
lied to by him. I was coerced into receiving oral sex from a girl I
did
not
want to have sex with. I was often treated as his personal sex
object
and
cast aside. He would tell me to come to his studio and have sex
with him
then
tell me to go. He often tried to control every aspect of my life
including
who I would see and where I would go."Sampson's lawsuit was filed
in
August
by the same attorney who represented Hawkins, Susan E. Loggans.
Sampson,
an
aspiring rapper who goes by the stage name "Royalty," graduated
high
school
at age 16 and enrolled at Columbia College.In April 2000, Sampson
became
an
intern at Epic Records. A month later, she met Kelly and began
having
sex
with him at a recording studio that he partially owns, Chicago Trax
at
865 N.
Larrabee, the suit states.Kelly brought the girl with him to
Orlando,
Fla.,
and other places to continue the affair, the suit charges.
Sampson's
lawyer
offers hotel phone records to back up the claim. Even though the
girl
was 17,
the fact that Kelly was in "a position of authority" over her makes
the
relationship illegal, the suit states.Since the first story about
Kelly
ran a
year ago, "We have been contacted by other women," Loggans
said. "Other
women
have come forward who have wanted to provide factual support to our
clients."Kelly has denied having sex with Sampson in court papers
filed
in
response to her suit.In 1994, Kelly illegally married Aaliyah, then
15,
shortly after producing her debut album, "Age Ain't Nothing But A
Number.''
The marriage was quickly annulled once Aaliyah's family and the
public
found
out. Aaliyah died in a plane crash last August.In 1996, Kelly
married a
22-year-old dancer from his touring troupe. The couple have two
children
and
maintain several homes in Chicago, including the location where the
aunt
said
the videotape was made, a wood-paneled sauna room in one of his
apartments.Kelly told Sampson's lawyers in October that he now
lives in
Olympia Fields.After the Sun-Times story ran in December 2000,
another
videotape was anonymously sent to the newspaper. It appeared to
show
Kelly
having sex with a different woman, whose age and identity have not
been
determined. Police have also investigated that videotape.In both
videotapes,
Kelly appears to be very conscious of the camera, looking at it and
adjusting
the angle several times.In the most recent tape, the underage girl
refers to
Kelly as "Daddy" while they have sex. The sex acts include
intercourse,
fellatio and urination. A television show plays new release music
videos
including "Let's have a Party Tonight" by the Backstreet Boys
and "Too
Much"
by the Spice Girls, which were hits in late 1998/early 1999. That
would
have
made the girl 14 at the time. An advertisement can be heard
for "The
Money
Store," which closed in 2000.It is not clear for whom Kelly would
have
made
the tapes.Asked if Kelly is aware of any videotapes of him having
sexual
relations with women, Touhy said, "I don't think it's any of your
business.''Touhy declined an invitation to view the tape.Kelly is
hardly
the
first celebrity to be accused of taking advantage of young girls.
Gary
Glitter, Rob Lowe, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roman Polanski,
Rolling
Stone Bill Wyman and even the legendary Errol Flynn all have been
written
about in this paper and others for allegedly having trysts with
minors.Kelly's spokespeople have denied that the singer has had
sexual
relations with underage girls. They point to his record of
philanthropy
in
the community and discredit allegations against him as an unwelcome
byproduct
of his wealth and celebrity."Mr. Kelly is at the top of his
career,''
said
his attorney, Touhy. "He has a hit song out right now, he performed
at
the
NFC title game, and he's performing at the Olympics. In light of
those
events, I believe you have to have serious questions in your mind
about
the
motives of people who sent you that forged tape.''
