Some of the women who were abused by singer R. Kelly described how he had “destroyed so many people’s lives” as they addressed him in court before he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday.
“You made me do things that broke my spirit. I literally wished I would die because of how low you made me feel,” one survivor told the disgraced star in the New York hearing. “Do you remember that?”
Another sobbed as she told the court that Kelly victimised her after she attended one of his concerts at the age of 17.
“I was afraid, naïve and didn’t know to handle the situation,” she said, explaining why she didn’t speak up at the time. “Silence is a very lonely place.”
The singer, who was previously best known for chart-topping songs like Ignition (Remix) and I Believe I Can Fly, heard seven impact statements from his victims in court shortly before he was jailed for racketeering and sex trafficking crimes.
