R Kelly

R. Kelly's Nephew Shot, Held As Suspect In Armed-Robbery Attempt

2008-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Brayel Kelly, 15, is in intensive care, while brother Brandon is in custody after Chicago-area incident.

R. Kelly's nephews Brayel and Brandon Kelly are in police custody and considered suspects in an armed-robbery attempt after a shooting at a Chicago-area barbershop Thursday that ended with one of them in the hospital.

After being shot in the abdomen/chest area, Brayel, 15, is in intensive care, Advocate Christ Medical Center told MTV News. The singer's estranged brother Carey Kelly, told a local Fox reporter outside the hospital that his son was shot twice and that one bullet collapsed his lung on the right side, while the other pierced his liver.

Calumet City police told MTV News that one of the two boys went into a barbershop and requested a haircut. After receiving his haircut, he allegedly tried to rob the barbershop owner by producing a weapon and demanding that the owner place his money and jewelry in a plastic bag. The man complied but also produced his own weapon. Police say the suspect fired, and the victim returned fire. The owner later told police that he believed he hit the robber.

Before responding to the armed-robbery call, police responded to a call two blocks away, where they found a juvenile who had been shot in the back. Brayel's older brother, Brandon, was arrested and police are investigating whether he acted as a lookout.

The Cook County state's attorney's office, which had previously tried R. Kelly on charges of child pornography earlier this year, would be the prosecutor in the case if the brothers are charged with attempted robbery. The office told MTV News that they are currently looking at "all the facts being compiled by the police."

Brandon and Brayel are among Carey Kelly's six children. Carey previously told MTV News in 2006 that his sons, but not his daughters, used to have a close relationship with their famous uncle. "My boys have been around Robert to go to his house, shoot pool, play basketball, before all this," he said, referring to the criminal allegations against R. Kelly. After a falling out, those visits were no more.

Carey told reporters that he believes his sons were the victims of the attempted robbery, not the perpetrators, since there is a widespread belief that the more famous Kelly had shared his wealth with his family. "People have tried to rob us," Carey told Chicago's WLS-TV. "They think we got money. ... That's R. Kelly money, that's not our money."

In his earlier interview with MTV News, Carey said that there had been times when his family was so poor, they actually lived on the streets. He claimed that he didn't resent his brother for not helping them out financially. "I never was mad or angry," he told MTV News. "That's his money he made."

Singer R Kelly seeks unpaid fees

2008-10-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Singer R Kelly has won an award of $3.4m (£1.9m) from his former tour promoter over unpaid fees.

The singer's company, R Kelly Touring, has filed papers in a Los Angeles court asking a judge to confirm the award, granted by an arbitrator last month.

The arbitrator agreed with Mr Kelly's claims that Leonard Rowe had not paid him in full for shows in 2007 and 2008.

Last month, singer Ne-Yo got damages of $700,320 (£399,952) from the firm after he was dropped from the same tour.

Documents show that, after the arbitrator agreed with Mr Kelly's claims about Rowe Entertainment, Mr Rowe had disputed the decision but had then failed to offer any defence.

Now Kelly is asking a judge in Los Angeles for help in collecting the award, which remains unpaid.

R&B singer Ne-Yo sued Rowe Entertainment in January claiming he was fired as Mr Kelly's opening act last November because fans and critics preferred him - an allegation his co-star denied.

Again, the company did not respond to the case and, in September, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered it to pay Ne-Yo and his touring company damages.

Ne-Yo, real name Shaffer Chimere Smith, left the tour after one week.

In June, a Chicago jury acquitted Mr Kelly of 14 charges of child pornography.

He was found not guilty of making an explicit sex video that prosecutors had said showed him having sex with a girl as young as 13

R. Kelly seeks $3.4 million from tour promoter

2008-10-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — R. Kelly has won a $3.4 million award against his former tour promoter and is asking a Los Angeles judge to help him collect.

R. Kelly Touring, which represents the singer, filed court documents on Monday seeking a judge's confirmation of the award an arbitrator granted against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment last month.

Kelly's company claimed that Rowe Entertainment and owner Leonard Rowe failed to pay him in full for shows scheduled for late last year and early 2008. An arbitrator agreed with Kelly's claims. Documents show Rowe disputed the arbitration, but did not offer any defense during a recent hearing.

An after-hours phone message left for Rowe's attorney in Atlanta was not returned Monday.

Kelly won three Grammys in 1997 for the song "I Believe I Can Fly," but is known for his sexually charged music. He was acquitted earlier this year of child pornography charges and is scheduled to release a new album before year's end.

Singer Ne-Yo recently won a $700,000 judgment against Rowe after he sued because he was dropped from Kelly's tour after only two shows.