Wednesday 27 March 2019

R. Kelly puts his request to work abroad on hold

R. Kelly walks into the courthouse in Chicago on Friday morning ahead of his hearing.

R. Kelly on Friday put the brakes on his request for a judge's permission to travel abroad while he awaits trial on felony sex abuse charges -- but only so that he can amend the request with fuller information, his attorneys said.
Dressed in a dark suit, Kelly made a brief appearance at a status hearing Friday morning in a Chicago courtroom while his attorney Steve Greenberg asked a judge to delay their request to modify Kelly's bond so that the singer can work overseas.
Judge Lawrence Flood agreed to continue the request. It's not clear when that issue will next be addressed, but a hearing in the overall case is next scheduled for May 7.
    Kelly's legal team had filed a motion Wednesday, asking the court to grant him permission to travel next month to Dubai to perform shows -- arguing that Kelly needs to work to pay child support and other bills. The singer had surrendered his passport under terms of the bail he was granted in February.
    But Greenberg told reporters Friday after the hearing that he wanted to amend the request with additional information. He didn't specify what he'd add.
    "I think there were some more details to be filled in to give the judge a certain comfort level" that might make him more likely to rule in Kelly's favor, Greenberg said.
    Wednesday's court filing had stressed Kelly's need to generate income, as he "has struggled of late to pay his child support and other child-related expenses," and has fallen "behind on his studio rent."
    It also says Kelly has recently had difficulty working in the United States, citing two performances or appearances that organizers have canceled in the past year.
    But on Friday, Kelly's entertainment attorney Doug Anton said offers recently have come in for Kelly to perform "just about everywhere you could imagine."
    Greenberg said it wasn't clear yet whether they could amend their request in time for Kelly's scheduled performances in April in Dubai.
    "He may still go to Dubai. He may not go to Dubai. We'll see," Greenberg said.

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