Nearly four years following his conviction in a series of sexual misconduct cases, R&B superstar R. Kelly has formally urged President Donald Trump to review his lengthy prison sentence. The 59-year-old rapper is hoping to receive some relief in his daunting correctional process through the appeal, which aims to chalk off some years from his stay in jail.
WARNING: The article contains mention of sexual abuse.
R. Kelly is seeking a commutation tied to his sexual misconduct convictions
R. Kelly has submitted an official plea to Donald Trump, asking the POTUS to commute his 30-year sentence.
The Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney made the appeal public earlier this week, revealing Kelly’s plans to deal with his incarceration, as per the Chicago Tribune. The information published by the White House agency that examines applications for executive clemency notes that the former singer is looking to secure a reduction on his prison sentence rather than a full pardon. Despite releasing major details about Kelly’s plea, the DOJ wing decided against revealing the underlying documents attached to it.
R. Kelly was found guilty of a slew of sexual misconduct cases in 2022, including child pornography, which fetched him 30 years in prison. His offences included making explicit videos of himself and his then-teenage goddaughter, as well as inciting sexual relations with the said minor and two other teenage girls. Kelly’s goddaughter ultimately testified against him during trial under the pseudonym Jane.
Notably, Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, had previously issued several public statements in favor of his client, wherein he directly requested Donald Trump to pardon the controversial artist. During a June 2025 news conference, Brindley revealed that Kelly’s legal team was actively “seeking talks with the White House” to secure his release.
At the time of writing, R. Kelly’s bid for commutation on the sentence linked to his sexual misconduct convictions remains pending.
