A fellow inmate attacked R. Kelly in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, one of his lawyers confirmed to Vulture. “Kelly was in his cell on his bed when another inmate came in and started to punch him,†attorney Doug Anton said. “The assault was stopped almost immediately and Kelly didn’t sustain any injuries. The other inmate claimed he assaulted Kelly because he’s been on lockdown at the institution a couple of times, and he was tired of being locked down. He apologized to Kelly.â€Â TMZ says R. Kelly protesters have caused the facility to be put on lockdown multiple times. The altercation is the latest incident in the disgraced R&B singer’s downfall. Earlier this month, the FBI confirmed that his manager, Donnell Russell, called in the gun threat that interrupted the premiere of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly. Russell is also one of three men recently arrested for alleged witness intimidation in Kelly’s Brooklyn Federal Court sex-trafficking case. (He also faces charges in Illinois and Minnesota.) Kelly, who pleaded not guilty to alleged racketeering and sexual-abuse charges, including knowingly exposing two people to herpes, is awaiting trial.
Additional reporting by Victoria Bekiempis.