R. Kelly was a no-show in court today (April 24), after he was sent a summons to appear. Due to the singer’s absence, the woman accusing him of sexual abuse in a civil case won by a default judgment. The judge presiding over the case determined that Kelly and his legal team ignored the woman’s civil suit.
Per The Chicago Tribune, a woman who accused Kelly of sexually abusing her in the ’90s filed a suit in February alleging that the musician had an inappropriate sexual relationship with her when she was 16 years old. She is now 36, and is identified in court documents at H.W.
Kelly was reportedly served the summons last month during his brief stint in a Cook County jail cell for missed child support payments. However, the woman’s attorneys claim that he never filed an appearance in the lawsuit.
“Judge Moira Johnson granted the attorneys’ request Tuesday to enter a judgment against Kelly,” the Tribune reports. “That could still be reversed if Kelly got an attorney involved in the suit. If that doesn’t happen, Kelly could be ordered to pay damages as soon as next month when the alleged victim is expected to testify about her allegations against the singer.”
During H.W.’s May 8 court appearance, she will reportedly discuss her alleged relationship and encounters with Kelly in detail.
Kelly faces a maximum of up to 70 years behind bars. He is charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four separate victims, three of whom were underage during the time of their alleged encounters.
