Federal officials are denying R. Kelly’s claims of mistreatment at a detention center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn recently filed court papers stating the embattled singer will remain on suicide watch “for his own safety.”
According to a report from the Associated Press, published on Sunday (July 3), the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, N.Y., submitted court documents late Saturday (July 2) stating that R. Kelly is under suicide watch “for his own safety” following a psychological assessment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Speight wrote in the court filing that Kelly’s “current life circumstances undoubtedly bring emotional distress.”
She further added: “He is a convicted sex offender who has been sentenced to spend the next three decades in prison. In the immediate future, he faces another federal criminal trial in Chicago for charges related to child pornography.”
This is in response to R. Kelly’s lawsuit against The Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn (MDC Brooklyn) where he alleges that he was placed on suicide as a form of punishment despite his pleas that he has no intentions of hurting himself or others. The disgraced singer claims his Eighth Amendment is being violated after the detention center placed him in a single cell without bed rails, no shower or shave, and no toilet paper. Additionally, Kells alleges he’s being forced to eat meals with his hands and is receiving no contact from loved ones.
Last Wednesday (June 29), R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges last year.
XXL has reached to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn for comment.