This morning, R. Kelly officially suited up for court, arriving with an entourage in tow. Opting to keep silent, Kelly took no questions on his way inside, and TMZ has revealed the nature of what might transpire on a legal front. As they tell it, Kelly will be attempting to question the authenticity of a sex tape, doing so by putting the spotlight on lawyer Michael Avenatti. As of now, the event is being live-streamed via TMZ, as seen below. A press release with attorney Steve Greenberg that followed Kelly's courtroom appearance reveals that many documents (a "three-inch stack") were received, but the sex tape has yet to be turned over.
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According to TMZ's report, Kelly's legal angle will find the singer tackling Michael Avenatti head-on, by questioning his relationship with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. In documents unveiled by the publication, Kelly's team claims Foxx and Avenatti had many previous conversations, with the former being particularly susceptible to being "influenced and wowed." As for how that might impact the case, Kelly's team seems to be taking the approach that Avenatti possibly "bullied" or "manipulated" Foxx.
Of course, Avenatti was the one who originally came forward with a pair of sex tapes, which allegedly depicted the singer having sex with an underage girl. As a result, Kelly was hit with ten counts of aggravated sexual assault, which he looks to be fighting tooth and nail. Given Avenatti's own ongoing legal woes, it wouldn't be surprising to see team Kelly attempt to shift the narrative entirely.
