So I feel a responsibility for that also, although I'm not responsible for his actions, I feel responsible for even taking her there. She attributed details of her nieces testimony to misguidance and the inability to think independently. The co-defendants in the case are Derrel McDavid, a former business manager who faces child pornography and obstruction charges, and Milton June Brown, Kellys former assistant, who faces one count of conspiracy to receive child pornography. Stephanie Edwards made a statement to the New York Times: Sparkle Addresses Niece's Testimony Against R. Kelly - VIBE.com "You have no idea whether this was put together by someone trying to get money from Robert, do you?" Singer Sparkle Reacts to Claims That She Allowed R. Kelly to - EURweb R. Kelly was later acquitted of all charges. "I know my family. It's very upsetting to my family. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. If you are in your 40's you have seen the video (whether you want to admit it or not). Sparkle Talks R Kelly, Aaliyah Marriage, Introducing Cousin To Singer Now that her niece has finished testifying, Sparkle is speaking out again - and what she's saying is EXPLOSIVE. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Featured On. Bossip Comment Policy Sparkle Denies The Claims Made By Her Niece In Court--Says She Never Sparkle Addresses Niece's Testimony Against R. Kelly - Yahoo! Im not that girl. Sparkle says she became suspicious of R. Kelly's involvement with her teenage niece in 2001. In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost. While her immediate family as well as the girl herself have yet to step forward, a former protg of R. Kelly has told a Los Angeles radio station that the girl on the tape is her niece, whom she says was 14 at the time the tape was made. Blog. That I should rub his head and ask him to take that role in my life., Sparkle denied any wrongdoing when a social media user questioned her about being the aunt who was mentioned during the testimony. No -- it was part of a shouting match during a contentious cross-examination between R. Kelly's defense attorney Ed Genson and the prosecution's star witness, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards. Sparkle met singer R. Kelly in 1989. Those who have been following the scandal were shocked to hear Sparkles testimony because she has long advocated for R. Kellys imprisonment for what he is accused of doing to her niece. The now 37-year-old woman who is identified only as "Jane," told jurors that she was first introduced to R. Kelly by her aunt Sparkle in the mid-1990s when she was 13 years old. I believe that [the police] have a lot that they are actually going to bring to light.". Those suspicions were heightened after a now-infamous video, which shows Kelly intimately engaging. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Here's Where to Find the Best Corned Beef in Cleveland! Without Wayne Shorters Weather Report, Jazz Rap Wouldnt Be What It Is, Fans Are Overjoyed to See De La Soul Albums on DSPs, 9 New Hip-Hop & R&B Albums You Should Be Listening To (Week of March 3), Larry June & The Alchemist Announce Joint Album The Great Escape. Kelly got emotional during the sit-down and alleged that he is "fighting for his . "I had a nasty taste in my mouth after seeing what I saw, and after many people, you know, didn't want me to speak out," Edwards told ET. In 2002, Kelly re-entered Sparkle's life when a video that appeared to depict sex between Kelly and a 14-year-old came to the attention of police. Girl In Alleged R. Kelly Tape Said To Be 14-Year-Old Niece Of Singer There's no denying it. She told me that I should ask him to be my godfather, she shared according to CNN, explaining that deepening the relationship established trust. Her family eventually began to allow her to visit with Kelly without an adult present. His Masters Are Missing: New R. Kelly Music, I Admit, Unauthorized, Pulled from Streaming Services, The Man is In Prison: Tevin Campbell Receives Backlash After Stating R. Kelly Could Go Against Usher In a Verzuz Battle. Years ago, Kelly was accused of abusing Sparkles niece, but during Kellys current trial, the niece claimed that Sparkle encouraged the interactions. Career. She began her career in 1998 as a protg of fellow Chicago native R. Kelly. because you deserve it! Sparkle Net Worth: Sparkle is an American R&B singer who has a net worth of $600 thousand. BridgetEE: A Music and Entertainment blogger/ Historian / Global Grind Freelance Writer The singer, real name Stephanie Edwards, alleges that the girl on this videotape was her 14-year-old niece, whom she had introduced to Kelly along with other members of her family, including her . Music Videos. I cant help he lies told on me & under oath at the.. & cause ya Momma mad at me cause yall were FORCED to testify.. [shrug emoji].. She pointed out that during this time period, she ran into Kelly at a family bowling event, and he gave her his number and invited her to come down to the studio, to illustrate that there was no bad blood between them, however much Genson tried to imply it. (Genson tripped her up on cross, when she said she was never in possession of the tape, even though her brother and his ex-wife had testified that she was.) Sparkle talked about her niece working with the feds and said she couldn't be more thrilled about it. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Offset Changes Instagram Avatar to Takeoff Photo After His Death. Will No Longer Be Pursuing These Indictments: Chicago Prosecutor Drops Sex-Abuse Charges Against Singer R. Kelly Months After Conviction. But now people are seeing.". One of the disgraced singer's former artists has stepped forward to defend herself in the ongoing R. Kelly trial. As you can imagine, all this drama derailed Sparkle's career. Sparkle (2012) - IMDb "It's crazy and torn up, in every way imaginable," she said. 8771 1829 linktr.ee/sparklelivemusic Posts Reels Tagged Show More Posts from sparklelivemusic She said this took place during a time when other members of her family also had a working relationship with the singer (Sparkle's brother-in-law, for instance, played guitar for Kelly, she said). We talked about business. But I didnt know that a bomb was coming.. As of today, they're still investigating the situation. I'm happy to see the #MeToo movement and Time's Up movement are backing these women. "I have an ex-manager that's been on my back," he said. Modern Movie Musical Essentials. Sparkle went on to sign with Motown Records and released a second album, titled "Told You So," in 2000. Sparkle is claiming that the victims mother was also upset at her, and the victims testimony was aimed at getting back at her for going against Kelly. Sparkle added that she and Kelly were never romantically involved as painted by the victim. 'R Kelly made me wear schoolgirl outfits and call him Daddy', victim The prosecution has not responded to the claim. R. Kelly: Singer Sparkle Denies Telling 14-Y-O Niece To Rub Singer's She went on to claim that Sparkle was the one who introduced her to Kelly, saying her auntencouraged her to rub Kellys headand sit on his lap. Sparkle Live Music (@sparklelivemusic) Instagram photos and videos sparklelivemusic 731 posts 1,870 followers 467 following Sparkle Live Music Musician/band We play your dream music soundtrack Put a Sparkle in your big day. In "Surviving R. Kelly," Edwards discusses Kelly's behavior toward her while they worked together. Sparkle, however, disputed the witness account after a social media user questioned her about it. Its not clear to what extent shes working with investigators, but her attorney, Christopher L. Brown, confirmed that she is indeed cooperating. Earlier this week, Kelly who wore ankle shackles along with his orange jumpsuit, pled not guilty to the charges. In the indictment, Kelly gave the girl and her family gifts, money before and after the trial in exchange for her lying to investigators, being unavailable for interviews and refusing to testify against him. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Prosecutors believe that there were many more girls, beyond the initially cited 12, who were victim to Kellys abuse. Im beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain Ive tirelessly worked on moving over the years is now being assisted with the help of my niece and her parents, she told The New York Times on Tuesday. She was my heart.". According to The New York Times, the extent of this girls cooperation with authorities isnt clear, her lawyer, Christopher L. Brown spoke of her willingness to work with authorities days after Kelly was accused, in a federal indictment, of paying the girl and her father to lie to investigators to protect him. The alleged victim on the tape is also the niece of the singer Sparkle, whom Kelly mentored as an artist early in her career. She said that his acquittal then affected her view of the #MeToo movement a decade later. Lets continue to pray for healing in this family. Sparkle was the first and only successful artist to release an album on Kelly's Rockland label.Sparkle's dbut album, the self-titled Sparkle, was released on May 19, 1998.The album debuted at No. But after R. and I parted ways, it was me not watching over her. In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost her the relationship with her family. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Photo Credit: Gary Miller for Getty Images). Sparkle testified at trial in 2008 that the man in the video was Mr. Kelly, and that the girl was her 14-year-old niece. Apple Music Film, TV & Stage. 'Nobody Believed Me': Singer Sparkle Speaks on How She Warned About R "But until our investigation is complete, we can't confirm or deny that [Sparkle is the girl's aunt]. Sparkle Just Admitted Something About R. Kelly And Aaliyah's 'Marriage This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. Twitter Debates 16-Year Age Gap Between Jaylen Brown & Mouthwatering Meemaw Bernice Burgos, Barbie Gyal Nicki Minaj Returns From Hiatus And Sets Di Road Ablaze At Trinidad Carnival 2023, Rain Pon Meeee: Ashanti Reminds Everyone How Feathered And FINE She Was At Trinidad Carnival 2019, Chaka Khan Shows No Mercy Blasting Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey & Other Names On Rolling Stone's 'Greatest Singers' List, Funniest (And Pettiest) Tweets From NBA All-Star Weekend 2023. Sparkle testified that she then called a family meeting so her other relatives could see the tape for themselves. With Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith. "I'm beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain I've tirelessly worked on moving over the. Sparkle was horrified when she discovered that it was her niece at the center of Kelly's 2002 child pornography indictment. Whitten Sabbatini for . "There have been a couple that have come to light that have settled out of court, so that they would not go to criminal court," Sparkle said, referring to Kelly's settlements with Tracy Sampson and Tiffany Hawkins. Kelly would ultimately be acquitted on charges pertaining to the tape. What, exactly, is the relationship between Kelly and Sparkle, and what are the claims being made against the infamous artist? We were tight, tight, tight." Please say its not you., Sparkle replied, Absolutely NOT! "Anger? Sparkle - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges The woman who is known as an early protg of Kelly in the 1990s and goes by the stage name Sparkle had previously testified in Kellys 2008 trial and the Surviving R. Kelly documentary as she had identified her niece as the girl in a porn video that circulated in Chicago. ", Though it's causing division within her family, Sparkle said that she's aiding the Chicago police investigation. All Rights Reserved. Sparkle has long asserted that her niece was abused by Kelly. Sparkle did try and make up for her mistake, and I don't believe her niece in saying rub his head, I believe the niece is permanently damaged by Robert and her parents and her parents told her to say that to take the blame off of them. Kelly has been charged with multiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters. At the time, Sparkle identified the child in the video as her niece. She said she regretted bringing her niece to Kelly's studio and later his home -- "my mistake," Sparkle said. "But until our investigation is . For years, Sparkle has made claims about Kelly allegedly abusing her niece . Nope, Sparkle didn't take a payout meanwhile R sending them on trips and paying for their houses. Who, do you believe, is lying? Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. FAQ + Create an Account / Login. People in Kelly's circle interviewed in "Surviving R. Kelly" claim to have seen the woman on the singer's property multiple times in recent years. Experience Celebrating The Life Of De La Souls Trugoy The Dove, Tennessee GOP Representative Sorry After Suggesting Hanging By Tree For Executions, C-Murder Reveals Hunger Strike, Claims Health Has Significantly Declined Due To Prison Conditions, TikTok Celebrates Visionary Voices In Black Creatives For Black History Month, R. Kellys Sisters Believe His 30-Year Sentence Is Rooted In Racism. She added that there is a family feud, and the victims testimony is a clear plan to try to take her down.. She eventually became a key witness in Kelly's 2008 child pornography case, claiming that the young girl in the video in question was her 14-year-old niece. Sparkle Addresses Niece's Testimony Against R. Kelly The singer used social media to "put a few things in context." By DeMicia Inman August 22, 2022 4:12pm Singer R. Kelly leaves the. The Times. As news of Janes testimony went public, Sparkle took to social media to refute the claims. Sparkle (1976) - IMDb Muskan Sharma is a law student at Calcutta University. Genson pointed out that the girl is seen receiving money on the tape. Sparkle has since thanked "Surviving R. Kelly" producer Dream Hampton for once again bringing attention to the alleged crimes. Chrisean Rock Announces Blueface Made It Official With Her R. Kelly Trial: Sparkle Claims Niece Lied About Her On The Stand "I wanted this to go away. She would go on to release a successful self-titled album in 1998, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts. In her traumatic account, she recalled her aunt introducing her to Kelly and encouraging her to build a close relationship with the now-disgraced singer. All Rights Reserved. Sparkle was Kelly's protge in the 90's. The singer agreed to testify in the 2008 trial and identified Kelly as the man in the video and her niece as the girl. Stephanie Edwards | Aisha Music Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head?
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