R. Kelly's former tour manager Demetrius Smith points out Kelly after asking him to take off his mask during Kelly's sex abuse trial at Brooklyn's Federal District Court in New York, U.S., August 20, 2021 in a courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
R. Kelly's former tour manager was forced to testify about the night R. Kelly learned 15-year-old Aaliyah was pregnant.
The manager said he bribed an official for a fake ID so Kelly could marry the teen.
Demetrius Smith tried to plead the fifth, but was ordered to take the stand.
Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Demetrius Smith, R. Kelly's former tour manager, was ordered to take the stand Friday to tell jurors about the night the singer learned he had gotten 15-year-old Aaliyah pregnant.
Smith, who started working with Kelly in the '80s when he was performing at talent shows and in subway stations, tried to assert his Fifth Amendment privilege not to self-incriminate, but was granted immunity from prosecution and ordered on Friday to testify against the singer.
Kelly is on trial for a long list of alleged crimes, including charges related to bribing a government official to obtain a fake ID so he could take Aaliyah as his child bride. Smith reluctantly admitted that he was the man who found and paid the official - a welfare office employee - for the ID so Kelly could marry Aaliyah and avoid prosecution for having sex with a minor.
Kelly denies any wrongdoing.
Throughout his time on the stand, Smith pushed back at the prosecution's questioning. He said he didn't want to be there and that he was "uncomfortable" talking about Aaliyah without her parents there.
"I feel like I'm on trial for Aaliyah. Shit," he said, at one point.
Judge Ann Donnelly insisted he answer, and Smith shared details about the illegal relationship between young Aaliyah and Kelly. It is illegal for an adult to have sex with a 15-year-old in Michigan and Illinois.
Smith said he and Kelly met the Aaliyah through her uncle, Barry Hankerson, who was also Kelly's manager.
Kelly and Smith flew to Aaliyah's home in Detroit in 1992 to listen to her sing - at her uncle's request. The meeting went well, Smith said, describing Aaliyah's voice as "angelic." Kelly then began writing and producing her music.
Story continues
Smith first told the court Friday that Kelly's time with Aaliyah, including when Kelly asked to be alone with her, was all about her music, but then the prosecution pressed him on the issue, showing him his prior Grand Jury testimony.
Eventually, Smith admitted that he had confronted Kelly at least once about his relationship with Aaliyah after feeling they were "too playful." He recalled at one point asking Kelly if he was "messing around" with her.
Smith said he believed Kelly when he denied that was the case, but then one night in the middle of a performance in Orlando in August of 1994, Kelly made him immediately arrange for travel back to his home in Chicago.
"Aaliyah's in trouble, man. We need to get home," Smith testified that Kelly told him that night.
Cook County clerk Carolyn Harris testifies about the 1994 marriage between R. Kelly and Aaliyah during Kelly's sex abuse trial at Brooklyn's Federal District Court in New York, U.S., August 20, 2021 in a courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Smith testified at first, Kelly didn't share any details about what was wrong with Aaliyah, but ordered him to book a round-trip flight.
Smith said he wanted to call Hankerson to see what was going on with Aaliyah, but was told not to. After the show, Kelly, Smith, and other employees boarded a plane to Chicago and the singer "cried a lot," admitting to Smith that Aaliyah was pregnant, he testified.
"That was a shock," Smith told the court.
Kelly told Smith that his other manager, Derrel McDavid, was making arrangements for the singer to marry the teenager, "to protect himself, to protect Aaliyah," Smith testified.
When asked what Kelly would be protecting himself against, Smith responded: "Shit. Jail, I guess."
When the plane landed in Chicago, Smith said he urged Kelly not to try and marry the teenager.
"She was too young. He was confused," Smith recalled.
But then Kelly started asking Smith whose "side" he was on, and the tour manager started to feel like he was being pushed out of the singer's life.
To avoid losing his place in Kelly's inner circle, Smith told the singer, McDavid, and Aaliyah that he knew how to get the teenager a fake ID that made her look old enough to legally marry the singer.
He then went to a local welfare office and offered a woman $500 to make her an ID. The group then went to a nearby FedEx or similar shipping store and had an associate make the teen a fake employment ID as backup, before Kelly and Aaliyah went to the Cook County clerk's office to apply for a marriage license.
The clerk accepted the IDs, and the group went back to the hotel suite where a minister performed a ceremony to marry them, Smith said.
A marriage license shown to the jury Friday indicated they were wed on August 31, 1994. Aaliyah's age was listed as 18 - three years older than her actual age.
Aaliyah's underage marriage to Kelly was annulledin February 1995 by her parents. She died six years later, at 22, in a plane crash off the Bahamas.
Court went into recess for the weekend at 5:30 p.m. and the prosecution plans to continue questioning Smith Monday morning.
Kelly's trial is expected to last four weeks.
Read the original article on Insider
Excerpt from:
R. Kelly's former tour manager was forced to testify, said the singer got 15-year-old Aaliyah pregnant - Yahoo! Voices
- VANDA Pharmaceuticals States a Fifth Amendment Claim against the Government for Taking a Trade Secret - Trade Secrets Trends - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Attorneys argue shooters Fifth Amendment rights on the 4th day of the Jennifer Crumbley trial - Detroit News - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Judge will not allow Michigan school shooter to testify in mother's trial if he invokes the Fifth Amendment - AppleValleyNewsNow.com - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Shamoon v. Resideo: Obviousness affirmed - Patently-O - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- Billings County sued over eminent domain as bridge dispute rekindles - Bismarck Tribune - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- 'Tyler' and a Call for Reform of the New Jersey Tax Foreclosure ... - Law.com - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- "Like fatter Tony Soprano Attending the Arraignment and "Effect[ing ... - Emptywheel - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- Call to faith-based leaders to help end violence; Parents need to pay ... - Capital Gazette - August 12th, 2023 [August 12th, 2023]
- "Stunning development": Experts say Trump target letter is surest ... - Salon - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- LIV, PGA drop a bombshell on Washington - POLITICO - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Congressman Matt Gaetz Introduces Resolution to Hold Former ... - Congressman Matt Gaetz - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- It's time to end home equity theft in Maine - Bangor Daily News - June 12th, 2023 [June 12th, 2023]
- Louisiana's Sabine River Authority Not Entitled To Sovereign Immunity - The Energy Law Blog - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Ninth Circuit Finds that Criminal Reentry Provision Not Driven by ... - Immigration Blog - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Ken Paxton Impeached on 20 Charges Including Bribery ... - The Texan - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Simply losing it: Bitter fight brews over federal judges forced retirement effort - Yahoo News - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Worth County Board of Supervisors Meeting (LIVE) - KIOW.com - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- Trump Organization finishes last in brand reputation survey for second straight year - The Hill - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- They held down a Black teen who tried to shoplift. He died from ... - Wisconsin Examiner - May 28th, 2023 [May 28th, 2023]
- What is the Fifth Amendment, and how has it been used? : NPR - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Tmc the Metals Company Inc. Enters into Fifth Amendment to Pilot Mining Test Agreement and Third Amendment to Strategic Alliance Agreement, Which Is... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Interpretation: The Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause | Constitution ... - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Fifth Amendment invoked to the point of 'unintentional hilarity' by Jan ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Why Did Trump Plead The Fifth Amendment?What We Do Know ... - Newsweek - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Understanding the Fifth Amendment Right to Remain Silent - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- US Government for Kids: Fifth Amendment - Ducksters - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Donald Trump loves to plead the Fifth. It won't save him this time. - MSNBC - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Georgia Special Purpose Grand Juries But Were Afraid to Ask - Lawfare - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Citing double jeopardy, Fargo man who killed 14-year-old Jupiter Paulsen wants murder conviction dropped - INFORUM - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Nicki Clyne: What Happened to NXIVM Member and Where Is She Now? - Newsweek - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- New York AG Asks Judge to Prevent Trumps From Hiding Assets Mother Jones - Mother Jones - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Trump Will Finally Have to Face Questions About Alleged Rape, Judge Rules - VICE - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- 'In the Heat of the Night' star Lee Grant on working with Sidney Poitier and being blacklisted by Hollywood - Yahoo Entertainment - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- THE OTHER SIDE: Orange Jesus took the Fifth - theberkshireedge.com - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- BNP Paribas : 5th amendment to the 2021 Universal Registration Document - Marketscreener.com - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Tlingit tribal member shares his story of helping the Yakamas get Mount Adams back - Yakima Herald-Republic - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Trump Pleading the Fifth Might Have Doomed Him in Civil Case - Newsweek - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Why is Kevin McCarthy Promising to Remove Parents from the Terrorist Watch List? - Daily Kos - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Alex Jones said he may have to plead the Fifth as he's set to testify - Insider - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- USS Fitzgerald and ACX Crystal collision: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals delineates the reach of personal jurisdiction - GARD - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Trump investigation tracker: Keeping up with Trump's many legal issues - Grid - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Bo Dukes's conviction to stand following motion for new trial - Douglas Now - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- VAIL RESORTS INC : Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement, Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet... - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- It's brother vs. brother at trial over NYC slaying of mobbed-up dad, 'Sally Daz' Zottola - New York Post - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Letters: Boater offers different perspective on the Playpen - Chicago Tribune - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Michael Flynn: From Government Insider to Holy Warrior - PBS - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Hamel found guilty of Athol murder, sentenced to life in prison - The Recorder - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Biden Slowly Winning LBJ- and FDR-Like Praise As Legislative Victories Mount - Seattle Medium - September 9th, 2022 [September 9th, 2022]
- Vice Principals, the Fifth Amendment, and Negative Inferences - JD Supra - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- PERMA FIX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC : Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement, Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an... - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- Letter: Invoking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission of guilt - INFORUM - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Taking the Fifth, FBI attacked: 5 takeaways of Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial - MLive.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- How much money could Donald Trump have to pay in fines if his businesses are penalized? - AS USA - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- A high stake debate and tension at the GOP convention: Your guide to Michigan politics - MLive.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- We Can Be Framers Too - The Atlantic - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- For 38 Years of American History, There Has Been No Vice President - History News Network - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Emmett Till is gone. The quest for justice lives on. - New York Daily News - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- 'A bold-faced LIE': St. Louis mayor blasts Black police officer groups criticism of oversight bill - KSDK.com - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- He has done more to further the cause of hate in the US than almost anyone: the rise and fall of Alex Jones - The Guardian - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Even the District Attorney Believed Joaquin Ciria Was Innocent. Why Did It Take So Long to Set Him Free? - POLITICO - August 8th, 2022 [August 8th, 2022]
- Understanding the Constitution: Why It Doesn't Protect the Unborn - The Epoch Times - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Former fugitive charged with rape in Deerfield case demands new lawyer - The Recorder - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Sources: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Testify Before NY AG's Office in Finance Probe, Neither Pleads the 5th - NBC New York - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Time running out to try Catherine Hoggle for the disappearance, suspected murder of her 2 kids - WUSA9.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Trump faces uphill fight on executive privilege in DOJ probe - POLITICO - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Charles Milliken: Defining what exactly is a 'right' - Monroe Evening News - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- How grand juries work and why Jan. 6 prosecutors are relying on them - Salon - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Roe, Dobbs and women's rights New York Daily News - New York Daily News - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Partisan congressional hearings are a threat to all citizens - Monroe Evening News - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- 9 years after a UIW police officer shot student Cameron Redus, the case is going to trial - San Antonio Express-News - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Outcome of first kidnapping trial can't be used as evidence in second trial, judge rules - Michigan Radio - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Washington County woman held in death of 5-year-old son - Herald-Mail Media - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- What Did the Dissenting Justices Think About the Power of Military Authorities & More - The Soldiers Project - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Whipping the votes in Suffolk - Newsday - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- If Trump Takes the Fifth, Is He Guilty? - Law & Crime - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Anambra House of Assembly Passes 5th Amendment Bills - TVC News - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- How do grand juries work? Their major role in criminal justice, and why prosecutors are using them to investigate efforts to overturn the 2020... - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- We need to hear the unbiased story - Villages-News - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- Outcome of first kidnapping trial can't be used as evidence in second trial, judge rules - WKAR - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]
- LOVERRO: The weight on Rivera's shoulders is inevitably about much more than football - Washington Times - July 29th, 2022 [July 29th, 2022]