- Evidence of R Kelly's marriage with Aaliyah will not be presented in his federal trial this month.
- Kelly will be tried on child pornography and sexual abuse charges in Chicago.
- Kelly illegally married Aaliyah in 1994 when he she was 15 years old.
Evidence of R Kelly's short-lived sham marriage to R&B singer Aaliyah will not appear in his upcoming Chicago federal trial on child pornography charges, according to court documents.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was sentenced in New York federal court to 30 years in prison in June on racketeering and sex-trafficking charges.
He faces a second federal trial in Chicago on August 15 on charges of producing child pornography and the sexual abuse of six minors.
Northern Illinois District Court Judge Harry D. Leinenweber ruled Wednesday on several motions about what evidence was admissible, according to court documents viewed by Insider.
Leinenweber denied a motion by Kelly to exclude evidence of his marriage and alleged sexual relationship with Aaliyah on the grounds that the request was moot after the prosecution responded that it didn't intend to present evidence of the relationship, court documents show.
Kelly also requested that the government not present evidence that he had infected any sexual partner with herpes or that he had impregnated any accuser or facilitated any abortions, the documents state.
The government said it did not plan to present any evidence of either situation.
Against Kelly's request, Judge Leinenweber did rule to allow evidence that he has previously been sued by accusers and evidence of his previous conviction in 2021.
Kelly's former manager testified at his New York trial that Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson — who also managed the R&B star, introduced them when she was 12 years old.
Kelly and his manager Demetrius Smith flew to Aaliyah's home in Detroit in 1992 to listen to her sing — at her uncle's request. The meeting went well, Smith said, describing Aaliyah's voice as "angelic." Kelly then began writing and producing her music.
Kelly illegally married Aaliyah in 1994 when he was 27 years old and she was 15 years old so she could get an abortion without permission from her parents, according to testimony at the New York trial.
Multiple witnesses in Kelly's 2021 trial told the jury that Kelly bribed an Illinois government employee to obtain a fake ID for Aaliyah in order to marry her.
Kelly's former employees, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, have also been charged in the case and are accused of conspiring to conceal evidence ahead of Kelly's 2008 child-porn trial in Cook County.
Kelly, McDavid, and Brown have all pleaded not guilty to the Chicago charges.
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