Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty
The L’s just keep piling up for R. Kelly (deservingly so) as a court has just ordered he pay up big time to one of his many victims.
The Guardian is reporting that the disgraced R&B singer has been ordered to pay more than $300,000 to one of his victims who accused Kelly of giving her an STD during one of their sexual encounters. U.S. district judge Ann Donnelly made the decision citing that the money would cover the cost of treatment for herpes and psychotherapy that the victim (who’s referred to only by a pseudonym) had to endure due to Kelly’s recklessness.
Unfortunately for Kelly, it may not end there.
Kelly could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars more to pay for herpes treatment and counseling for a second victim once the final tally is calculated. The judge rejected a third claim by another accuser.
The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling songwriter appeared at the hearing in federal court in Brooklyn via video from a lockup in Chicago, and only spoke to exchange greetings with the judge and to turn down an offer to say more. None of the victims were in attendance.
Questions about how he’ll be able to pay such a huge amount of money have been raised and though the convicted sexual-predator hasn’t been working for years, prosecutors say he has access to roughly $5 million dollars along with $28,000 seized from his commissary. According to his defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean, the $28K comes from donations made from hardcore R. Kelly fans who still support him regardless of his crimes against humanity.
Bonjean told the judge that Kelly has no access to any other funds because of judgments in civil cases brought against him. She also insisted that her client has always been clueless about his finances.
“He’s not the best source of that information,” she said.
Tell us about it.
What do y’all think of R. Kelly having to cough up $300K to one of his victims? Was it too much or not enough? Let us know in the comments section below.