We all knew that R. Kelly’s marriage to Aaliyah was beyond gross, but according to federal prosecutors it was actually criminal.
According to legal documents, R. Kelly is accused of paying a public official to create a fake ID for an individual identified as “Jane Doe #1.”
The alleged bribery took place on Aug. 30, 1994, just one day before R. Kelly married the then-underage Aaliyah.
The document reads:
On or about August 30, 1994, within the Northern District of Illinois, the defendant ROBERT SYLVESTER KELLY, together with others, did knowingly and intentionally cause another individual to promise and tender to a public officer and public employee property, to wit: Unites States currency, that such public officer and public employee was not authorized by law to accept, with the intent to influence the performance of an act related to the employment and function of a public officer and public employee, to wit: the creation of a fraudulent identification document for Jane Doe #1, an individual whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, in violation of Illinois Criminal Code Sections 5/33-l(a) and 5/5-1.
This isn’t the first time R. Kelly’s been accused of falsifying documents to marry 15-year-old Aaliyah, but this is the first time federal prosecutors accused the singer of bribery.
R. Kelly has consistently denied that he and Aaliyah ever got married, however his attorney has since confirmed otherwise.
“[Kelly] was married to [Aaliyah] when she was 15,” the lawyer said during an appearance on Good Morning America earlier this year. “My understanding is that she did not claim to be 15 and, in order to get married, she had to lie about her age. [He had] no idea.”
Oh — he knew. He definitely knew.
