R. Kelly has found a sympathizer in Bill Cosby.
After R. Kelly was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking in New York on Monday, Bill Cosby’s spokesman Andrew Wyatt discussed the verdict in an interview with TMZ. Wyatt says his client believes Kelly was wronged by the criminal justice system.
“We talked about it today and the first thing he said was, ‘Look, the guy was railroaded,’” Cosby’s spokesman told TMZ. “As he said, Gloria Allred did the same thing that she did with him. You parade women out and you stir up the public sentiment to go against him. And that’s what they did to R. Kelly.”
Earlier this year, Bill Cosby was released from prison after his sexual assault conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Cosby Show star was serving time for three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault, but the court said he was denied protection against self-incrimination in the case.
Bill Cosby’s spokesman claims his client and R. Kelly have been targeted due to their fame and success.
“What we see in America today with R. Kelly is an assault on Black men,” Wyatt contended. “This is an assault on successful Black men who are doing great things.”
Bill Cosby’s spokesman also suggests R. Kelly will eventually get out of prison on appeal.
“I see R. Kelly having a strong case on appeal,” he said. “I think when he gets to appellate court and when he gets to the highest court in the land, I think we’ll see a conviction overturned.”
R. Kelly will be sentenced on May 4, 2022. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and the possibility of life in prison.
The disgraced singer is awaiting another trial for federal child pornography and obstruction charges in Illinois. State-level sexual misconduct charges have been brought against him in Illinois and Minnesota.