R. Kelly Says Prison Officials Tried to Kill Him

R. Kelly's mugshot from January 2003. Photo courtesy of the Miami Police Department.

R. Kelly's legal team says the singer's life is in danger and only Donald Trump can save him.

The 58-year-old R&B singer, currently serving a 30-year prison sentence, is asking for a presidential pardon from Trump after alleging a disturbing murder plot orchestrated from within the prison system. The request has reignited public debate, drawing intense scrutiny over the safety and rights of incarcerated individuals, even those convicted of serious crimes.

A High-Stakes Plea From Behind Bars

Kelly, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina.

In 2021 and 2023, he was convicted on multiple federal charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and child pornography. He was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison in New York, followed by a concurrent 20-year sentence from a Chicago court in 2023.

His attorney, Beau B. Brindley, filed an emergency motion in June 2025 alleging that three prison officials recruited an inmate, a known Aryan Brotherhood member named Mikeal Glenn Stine, to kill Kelly. Stine allegedly told Kelly about the plan after having a change of heart.

In the declaration, Stine claimed prison officials offered him a chance to escape and live his final months free, due to his terminal cancer diagnosis.

From Conspiracy Claim to Solitary Confinement

One day after the motion became public, Kelly was reportedly placed in solitary confinement. His lawyer said he was denied phone calls, commissary access, and even had to endure bugs crawling on him at night.

On June 12, 2025, Kelly allegedly suffered a medical emergency after being given what his attorneys describe as an overdose-level dose of his regular medication.

He was hospitalized at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, and according to a court filing, he fainted and collapsed in his cell before being rushed to medical care.

After two days, Kelly was removed from the hospital by armed officers despite a recommendation for surgery on blood clots in his lungs, his lawyers claimed.

The motion alleged that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) denied him the surgery, putting his life at greater risk.

Trump's Involvement Considered

With fears for his life growing, Kelly's legal team turned to President Donald Trump. Attorney Beau Brindley told PEOPLE that they are "in open discussions with people close to President Trump," and that these conversations intensified after the motion was filed.

Trump has not publicly responded to the request. However, he recently stated in May that he'd consider pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs — who faces unrelated federal charges — if mistreatment could be proven. "I would certainly look at the facts," Trump said at an Oval Office briefing reported by PEOPLE.

Kelly previously lived at Trump Tower in Chicago but has no personal relationship with the President, his lawyer confirmed.

Prosecutors Reject the Claims

Federal prosecutors are not convinced. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Julien labeled the allegations "deeply unserious," according to Forbes, and warned that allowing inmates to request release based on alleged threats could open the floodgates for abuse of the system.

In court, prosecutors described Kelly as a "master manipulator," a phrase echoed in multiple government filings, and asked the court to reject the request for home confinement, according to Billboard.

R. Kelly's plea for a presidential pardon underscores the intense scrutiny surrounding prison conditions and the treatment of high-profile inmates. As his legal team battles allegations of a murder plot and medical neglect, the case raises broader concerns about accountability within the federal prison system. Whether or not Donald Trump intervenes, the outcome will likely spark continued debate over justice, safety, and the limits of presidential power.

References: R. Kelly Seeking Presidential Pardon From Donald Trump, Put in Solitary Confinement After Death Threat Claims (Exclusive) | R. Kelly Seeks Trump Pardon As Prosecutors Dismiss His Claims Prison Staff Trying To Kill Him | Where Is R. Kelly Now? Inside the Disgraced Rapper's Life in Federal Prison | R. Kelly Hospitalized Over Alleged Prison Overdose & Seeks Trump's Pardon | Billboard News