Last month, while R. Kelly was serving a brief stint in jail for owing an alleged $200,000 in unpaid child support, the R&B singer was served with yet another court summons. A new sexual abuse lawsuit had been brought against the 52-year-old. The alleged victim, who is identified in court documents as “H.K.”, claimed that Kelly had repeated sexual contact with her throughout 1998 when she was just 16 years old. On Tuesday, Kelly lost the lawsuit because he apparently never showed up in court to defend himself.
According to the Chicago Tribune, after Kelly missed his court date, the victim’s attorneys filed a request to enter a judgment against the singer. Apparently, that request was granted by Judge Moira Johnson, and unless Kelly hires a lawyer to appeal the decision, he could be ordered to pay damages to the victim as early as next month.
This, of course, is on the latest addition to a larger, decades-long sexual abuse scandal Involving the singer. In February, R. Kelly turned himself into the custody of the Chicago Police Department after he was hit with 10 charges of aggravated sexual abuse involving four alleged victims, three of whom were underage at the time. The crimes are believed to have taken place between 1998 and 2010. The 52-year-old remained in jail for two days before posting $100,000 bond.
