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Kellys original case, Sparkles niece at 30 plus years took the stand to testify. The singer, real name Stephanie Edwards, alleges that the girl on this videotape was her 14-year-old niece, whom she had introduced to Kelly along with other members of her family, including her . Sparkle said that she had discussions with Hankerson, who was also Aaliyah's uncle, about signing to his Blackground record label about two weeks before Aaliyah's death in 2001, but that discussions fell apart. "She shared how she didn't see me as a survivor but she wanted to celebrate me for being the first one to stand up and bring to light what was going [on].". Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. 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There's no denying it,' she says on the stand. The video was of a man urinating on a little girl while she called him daddy. On the stand this afternoon, Stephanie Edwards (aka R&B singer Sparkle) says that she introduced the alleged victim, a budding rapper and singer, to Kelly when the three of them met up in the. Experience Celebrating The Life Of De La Souls Trugoy The Dove, Tennessee GOP Representative Sorry After Suggesting Hanging By Tree For Executions, C-Murder Reveals Hunger Strike, Claims Health Has Significantly Declined Due To Prison Conditions, TikTok Celebrates Visionary Voices In Black Creatives For Black History Month, R. Kellys Sisters Believe His 30-Year Sentence Is Rooted In Racism. Sparkle, the girl in the picture and a few others confirmed it was said niece, but the rest of the nieces family said it was . According to reports, Sparkle was allegedly suggested by the niece. For full coverage of R. Kelly, see "The R. Kelly Reports.". 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"Surviving R.Kelly," a Lifetime docu-series that's airing in six parts on three nights about musician R. Kelly, has reinvigorated the public's interest in the long list of accusations made against the controversial singer. Music Videos. She says "There have been too many girls to count. Featured On. As you can imagine, all this drama derailed Sparkle's career. Sparkle explains that she testified against Kelly in court, although he allegedly tried to bribe her. Kelly is facing multiple sexual assault charges and is being held without bail. He did say, however, that not all the evidence had been revealed (see [article id="1453299"]"R. Kelly Settles Civil Suit, Defends Himself On Radio"[/article]). 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Earlier this week, the disgraced singer and his legal team appeared in a Chicago court, where Kelly faces several criminal charges. She said she regretted bringing her niece to Kelly's studio and later his home -- "my mistake," Sparkle said. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. They would pretty much drop me off and then leave, she said about her parents and the introduction by her aunt. Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering, Report: R. Kellys Former Staffers Gave Feds 20 More Sex Tapes with Minors, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years For Child Sex Crimes, R. Kelly Silenced Aaliyah & Her Family With Non-Disclosure Agreement After 1995 Marriage Annulment, Watch the Trailer For Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter. Sparkle talked about her niece working with the feds and said she couldnt be more thrilled about it. ", "No," she said. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Sparkle added that she and Kelly were never romantically involved as painted by the victim. "It's hurtful to my sister, to my brother-in-law and to my niece, especially, because it's all her. For full coverage of the ongoing R. Kelly case, see The R. Kelly Trial Reports. "Never. She. Still, she admitted, she hadn't had the same level of success on her sophomore album with Motown as she did with her Kelly-produced debut, and she hadn't received any royalties from Kelly. Shortly after the tape was released, the woman's aunt - 1990s R&B singer Sparkle - came forward and blasted her former mentor R Kelly. Sparkle did cooperate at the time and testified against Kelly at trial, a step that reportedly led to her estrangement from her family for years. Home. "There have been a couple that have come to light that have settled out of court, so that they would not go to criminal court," Sparkle said, referring to Kelly's settlements with Tracy Sampson and Tiffany Hawkins. The woman who is known as an early protg of Kelly in the 1990s and goes by the stage name Sparkle had previously testified in Kelly's 2008 trial and the 'Surviving R. Kelly' documentary as she had identified her niece as the girl in a porn video that circulated in Chicago. His Masters Are Missing: New R. Kelly Music, I Admit, Unauthorized, Pulled from Streaming Services, The Man is In Prison: Tevin Campbell Receives Backlash After Stating R. Kelly Could Go Against Usher In a Verzuz Battle. Singer Sparkle found herself in the middle of R. Kellys federal child pornography trial. Since the news of her niece's cooperation has been made public, Sparkle says she is thrilled. "We've had contact all along with the girl's family," Chicago police spokesperson Officer Pat Camden said. "A lot of people know about it, but when the smoke clears, you guys will really be able to know exactly what is going on. ", More cases against R. Kelly will come forward, Sparkle predicted, if they don't settle out of court first. Surviving R.Kelly: The Final Chapter Sheds Light On Singers Alleged Feces Force-Feeding Ritual And Intimate Footage Of Aaliyah, Jailhouse Drop: Streaming Platforms Remove R. Kelly I Admit It Album, Singer Calls The Pied Piper Prison Production A Bootleg, More Punishment Pending: Pied Piper R. Kelly Found Guilty On Six Counts In Federal Child Pornography Trial, testimony did not sit well with Sparkle, who reacted to her neices claims online after someone asked her, Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head? I know them. Stay tuned to Thirsty for more updates. We were a gospel group just years prior so me thinking about them for them was partly programmed in meagain, Because Robert was given the opportunity to have his own imprint, record label, I introduced my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece to Robert at CRC studios in 1997 in hopes of landing my niece a career in this industry, not a concert as she testified, Sparkle said. Both have pleaded not guilty. "But until our investigation is complete, we can't confirm or deny that [Sparkle is the girl's aunt]. ", Sparkle wasn't the only witness to get emotional on the stand Thursday. His first albums. "Hampton spoke to me and spoke to my management," Edwards continued. Sparkle was also the one to call her family members when she would find out that the niece was alone in the studio with him. Trivia The victim in the video did notcooperate with prosecutors in the original case, but finally agreed to workwith the government after Kelly was arrested in 2019. Though Kelly has talked to local Chicago media about the scandal, he hasn't addressed a lot of the questions people have about the tapes. This encounter disheartened Sparkle and caused her to step back from her career in entertainment. As of now, Sparkles niece and her attorney have yet to respond to Sparkles claim she lied on the stand. #SomeoneWhoLovesMusicWayTooMuch Singer Sparkle was the only member from the girl's family to testify against Kelly in 2008, identifying her niece in the tape. "Of course not. The prosecution has not responded to the claim. "Sparkle" featured a duet with Kelly, titled "Be Careful.". Sparkle's niece recently confronted something against her aunt and as a result, Sparkle claimed that her niece had lied about her. It's messed up. | Follow on Twitter: @BridgetEE and IG: @Bridgetee26, Source: MadameNoire.com/iOne Digital / MadameNoire. At the time, the niece had denied it was her, although she changed her testimony on the stand on Thursday to confirm that it was her in the video. On Friday, Sparkle took to social media to denounce some of the claims made by her niece on the stand. At the time, Sparkle identified the child in the video as her niece. Jurors and observers heard the gory details from the 14-year-old, who disclosed that the singer began grooming the 14-year-old victim and began having sex with her at just 15 years old when Kelly was around 30 years old. "But there are others that haven't been spoken of that have been possibly paid off. Sparkle's age is 47. Sparkle Addresses Niece's Testimony Against R. Kelly The singer used social media to "put a few things in context." By DeMicia Inman August 22, 2022 4:12pm Singer R. Kelly leaves the. "You have no idea whether this was put together by someone trying to get money from Robert, do you?" In a contentious court battle, Edwards testified against Kelly in 2008, according to ET Online. Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. Cole, Daisy Jones & The Six, And More, One trip back to the '70s, another to the future, Deem Spencer Swims Into The Deep End Of His Mind, The New York rapper adds a new layer of introspection and maturity to his trademark jovial teenage anguish with 'AdultSW!M', Diasporic Reflections: Four Black Creatives Making Art Tinged With Legacy, Joshua Renfroe, Kuukua Eshun, Aja Monet, and Mike Abrantie tell MTV News about purpose and perspective in Black communities worldwide, Bop Shop: Songs From Kelela, PinkPantheress And Ice Spice, The Boyz, And More, The boy might be a liar, but the memes simply don't lie, SZA Brings Her Fans On An Emotional Voyage On 'SOS' Tour, In Chicago, the second night of her arena showcase found the singer sailing across a sea of victory, The musician discusses how art about half-human, half-mechatronic beings alongside their gender and racial identities informs their debut album, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist.
