R. Kelly Hospitalized After Prison Overdose, Attorneys Allege in New Court Filing
Attorneys for R. Kelly claim the disgraced R&B singer was recently hospitalized after overdosing on medication administered to him while in federal custody. In new court documents filed on Monday and reviewed by The Guardian, Kelly’s legal team says the 58-year-old collapsed inside his cell at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina — a facility known for housing sex offenders — and was subsequently rushed to Duke University Hospital for emergency care.
According to the filing, the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, June 13. Kelly had been placed in solitary confinement just three days earlier, on June 10, and was allegedly given medication by prison staff along with instructions to take it. In the early morning, he reportedly awoke feeling lightheaded and weak, with “black spots” clouding his vision.
The court document describes how Kelly attempted to stand but lost his balance and fell. “He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness,” the filing states. Medical staff placed him on a gurney and transported him by ambulance to Duke University Hospital. During the ride, Kelly allegedly overheard a prison official remark: “This is going to open a whole new can of worms.”
At the hospital, Kelly’s lawyers claim he was informed that he had received an overdose-level quantity of the prescribed medication, posing a serious threat to his life. He remained hospitalized for two days before returning to the prison.
The Bureau of Prisons has not commented on the matter, citing ongoing litigation. The incident was initially reported by USA Today.
The emergency filing is part of a broader motion submitted by Kelly’s defense team, which accuses three officials from the Bureau of Prisons of plotting to have him killed by another inmate. In light of the alleged threats and the overdose incident, Kelly’s attorneys are asking the court to grant him temporary release from prison and allow him to serve home detention for his safety.
Federal prosecutors have strongly opposed the motion. In their response, they describe Kelly as a “prolific child molester” who has never accepted responsibility for his crimes. “Kelly now asks this court to release him from incarceration indefinitely under the guise of a fanciful conspiracy,” prosecutors argued. “His motion makes a mockery of the harm suffered by Kelly’s victims.”
Kelly was convicted in 2021 on multiple counts of racketeering and sex trafficking related to decades-long abuse involving underage victims. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. A subsequent 2022 conviction found him guilty of producing child sexual abuse material and child enticement, adding another 20-year sentence, which is being served concurrently with his existing term.
