Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of abuse and sex crimes. Reader discretion is advised.
Lifetime’s Surviving R Kelly revealed the R&B singer secretly married Aaliyah in August 1994. The award-winning documentary series alleged R Kelly, now in jail for sex crimes, married her when she was only 15 and listed her age as 18 in the marriage certificate. Other revelations in the docuseries alleged that Kelly and his team silenced Aaliyah and her family. They allegedly coerced the then-underage and her family to sign a non-disclosure agreement after the annulment of their short marriage.
Variety reported that R Kelly was 14-year-old Aaliyah’s mentor when she recorded her debut album in 1994. After the release of her album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, there was speculation about a relationship between the duo. In Surviving R Kelly, several witnesses claimed to have been present at the secret marriage ceremony. The documentary series first premiered in 2019 and comprises three seasons.
How old was R Kelly when he married Aaliyah?
R Kelly was 27 when he married 15-year-old Aaliyah in August 1994. The marriage certificate listed Aaliyah’s age as 18. The latter’s parents annulled their marriage in February 1995 because the then-teen’s father was enraged by their relationship. At the time, Kelly and his team coerced Aaliyah’s family into signing an NDA, which prevented them from pressing charges against the singer.
Billboard reported that Gem Pratt, a former bodyguard, revealed other details about the agreement in Surviving R Kelly. Pratt claimed that by signing the agreement, Aaliyah’s family agreed not to press charges against R Kelly given their marriage was illegal. Following the annulment, the singer also promised to sell them the rights to his first three albums in exchange for their silence.
In the documentary, Gem Pratt alleged that Aaliyah’s “dad [Michael Haughton] didn’t want her anywhere near him [R Kelly].” Pratt also revealed that those close to the singer ignored his abuse of women and young girls for decades. He added that Kelly “couldn’t do this by himself… it’s clear as day there were enablers.” Others who appeared in Surviving R Kelly believe he married Aaliyah to avoid going to jail on charges of statutory rape of a minor, per Variety.
R Kelly’s crimes, which landed him in federal prison, include sex trafficking and racketeering, reported BBC. A Brooklyn jury first found Kelly guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering in 2021. He received a 30-year prison sentence, and while serving the term, he was once again convicted. The second conviction came after a Chicago trial on the production of child pornography and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity charges.
According to Federal prison records, R Kelly is now serving his sentence in North Carolina’s FCI Butner Medium I.
