R. Kelly fears for his life after undergoing an emergency operation which he says was ‘botched’. Picture: Bang Showbiz
DISGRACED R&B singer R Kelly stated this week that he is "scared for his life" after recovering from emergency surgery to treat blood clots in his leg.
In an unexpected turn of events, Kelly, who is serving a 20-year jail term in Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Centre after being convicted on child pornography charges last year, accused the prison medical staff of negligence.
According to an interview by RapHouseTV last week, Kelly's latest blood clot procedure was allegedly "botched" by the prison medical team. He also stated that he did not "deserve to die" and that "someone miscommunicated or made a guess as to what was wrong with my leg."
"I'm not supposed to die this way," he stated in the interview from jail. "You're not supposed to even take a chance on that."
"They didn't even do an X-ray. That is why I am speaking out since I am afraid for my life in that area. And who wouldn't be?" Kelly continued, adding "They treat their animals better than that."
The disgraced singer, known for his hit single "I Believe I Can Fly," further called on those listening to "consider" how they would respond if one of their loved ones was in his situation and reportedly being ignored while inside prison.
"If it was your child, your father, your mother, or somebody you loved, you would have said, 'Go to the doctor, that has to be looked into, we must investigate this, we need to X-ray that’" Kelly said.
According to a report by Radar Online, Kelly's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, also accused the MCC prison medical staff of incompetence in March. She alleged that the disgraced musician and other convicts were deprived of medical treatment and care.
"It's not just because he's R Kelly," Bonjean said earlier this year to ABC. "Every prisoner deserves medical care and attention. The MCC is obligated to handle these issues competently."
Kelly was convicted in Chicago in September 2022 on six counts of child pornography and enticement of a minor. In February 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years in jail.
IOL