R. Kelly is now seeking help from Donald Trump as he continues trying to reduce his federal prison sentence. The singer, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is reportedly asking for a commutation rather than a full pardon, meaning he is seeking a shorter sentence instead of having his conviction erased.
Kelly is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence following his federal convictions tied to racketeering and sex trafficking. In 2022, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after prosecutors accused him of using his fame, influence, and inner circle to exploit women and minors over several years.
Since being sentenced, Kelly has made multiple attempts to challenge his prison situation and push for some form of early release. His legal team has argued that his life is in danger behind bars and has claimed that the conditions he is facing are unsafe. Those claims have been part of his larger effort to convince officials that he should not remain in custody under his current circumstances.
Now, Kelly is reportedly taking a different legal route. According to new filings connected to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, he is asking Trump to commute his sentence. A commutation would not remove the conviction, but it could reduce the amount of time he has to serve if granted.
At this time, no final decision has been made. The request is still part of the review process, and it is unclear how much time Kelly is asking to have removed from his sentence. It is also unclear whether Trump or federal officials will seriously consider the request.
The move comes as the pardon and commutation process has been receiving attention in hip-hop circles. Recent reports involving Boosie Badazz have raised questions about artists seeking pardons and the people claiming they can help secure them. In Boosie’s situation, he reportedly paid a large amount of money to individuals who promised help with a pardon, but the process has not delivered the outcome he expected.
Kelly’s case appears to be different because his legal team is reportedly going through official legal channels. Still, the request is likely to be controversial because of the seriousness of his convictions and the public attention surrounding his case.
For now, Kelly remains behind bars while his commutation request awaits a decision. Whether the request leads to a reduced sentence or gets denied, the latest filing shows that he is still actively trying to change the outcome of his federal prison term.