On Friday, September 3, a woman testified at R. Kelly’s sex abuse trial, claiming she reached a $200,000 settlement with the R&B singer after contracting herpes.
The woman, who identified herself as Kate, testified against the world-famous R&B singer during his sex abuse trial in Brooklyn.
Kate claimed she met Kelly in 2001 when she was 27 years old and contracted herpes from him after they slept together. Kelly, she claimed in court, was tight-lipped when she later accused him of causing her the sexually transmitted disease.
Kate stated that she married the singer in 2004 and that her herpes diagnosis ‘greatly affected her ability to enter future relationships.’
Her personal physician also testified, claiming he treated the actress for herpes for several years.
Kelly’s lawyer, Deveraux Cannick, used cross-examination to refute earlier testimony that Kelly demanded strict rules from his girlfriends.
Several witnesses testified that these rules included needing Kelly’s permission to go to the bathroom, looking away from other men, and not talking about Kelly in his absence.
Kate told Cannick that Kelly treated her differently around her, allowing her to use the restroom whenever she wanted and not making her wait for him for long periods of time. She also stated that she assisted him in writing down song lyrics.
Kelly, 54, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has been on trial since August 18 for allegedly running a decade-long racketeering scheme targeting women and girls for sex with the assistance of employees and assistants. He has entered a not-guilty plea.