R. Kelly may have been able to escape his fate during his 2008 child pornography case but with the new charges, it looks like he might be locked up for years to come. Kelly was hit with federal charges last week stemming from a suspicion that he paid off the victim who he urinated on and her family in his 2008 child pornography case to stop them from working with investigators. Now, it appears that she won't be holding onto his secret any longer as Variety reports that she's cooperating with the feds in wake of the federal charges.
Christopher L. Brown, her lawyer, confirmed the news earlier this year, although he combatted claims made by Michael Avenatti who said that Kelly paid the family roughly $2M in hush money. The woman in the sex tape was 14-years-old at the time it was filmed. Jurors suggested that her testimony could've helped solidify conviction for Kelly back in 2008.
The woman's identity has been relatively ambiguous, although she's reportedly the estranged niece of one of Kelly's protegé's Sparkle. A few people close to Kelly who were interviewed in Surviving R. Kelly alleged that she's been seen around his property on a few occasions over the past few years.
“I’m beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain I’ve tirelessly worked on moving over the years is now being assisted with the help of my niece and her parents!" Sparkle told the New York Times. “Of course I’m in full unwavering support of them and their act of courage!”