Donnell Russell, R. Kelly’s former manager, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for stalking and harassing one of Kelly’s abuse victims.
Russell pleaded guilty in July to using threats and intimidation to try and prevent the victim from testifying against the disgraced star. He also published explicit pictures of her online anonymously as a way to put her off testifying.
“For more than a year, the defendant engaged in a vicious campaign to harass, humiliate and threaten the victim in order to force her to dismiss her lawsuit against R. Kelly and stop speaking publicly about him,” Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said in a statement. “The punishment meted out to the defendant today is a victory for crime victims, particularly those of sexual assault and abuse, who are often reluctant to come forward to law enforcement or pursue legal recourse, given the trauma and fear of retaliation associated with publicly discussing their experiences.”
Kelly was convicted of all nine counts in Brooklyn federal court in 2021 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison months back. His attorneys are still trying to free him.