R. Kelly has paid over $62,000 in back child support in order to avoid jail time.
According to TMZ, the embattled singer appeared in court on Wednesday (May 8) to settle his debt with his ex-wife Drea Kelly. The latest check covers child support payments Kelly missed for the months of March, April, and May. In March, he was arrested and later released after an unidentified person paid $161,000 in back child support on his behalf.
That same month, the 52-year-old attempted to lower his payments, citing financial hardships in the wake of the explosive “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries. Kelly’s legal team claimed the allegations negatively affected his finances. As it stands, Kelly remains on the books for $20,000 a month in child support and still owes $23,000 in interest.
The “I Admit” singer made national headlines in February when he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four women, of three who were minors at the time. He faces up to 70 years behind bars if found guilty. Although several sex tapes have since surfaced, Kelly has maintained his innocence and denied all of the accusations against him.
During a sit down with CBS “This Morning” host Gayle King, Kelly shouted, “I didn’t do this stuff! This is not me. I’m fighting for my f—king life! Y’all killing me with this s—t!”
Meanwhile, Kelly has been given a second chance to defend himself in court after losing a civil case against one of his accusers last month. TMZ is reporting that a judge vacated the default judgment after Kelly’s lawyers argued their client didn’t show up because he is illiterate and “didn’t know what he was reading” when he was served.