Judge restricts use of R. Kelly’s recording studio in Chicago
Performing in Atlantic City, New Jersey, back in 2006, R. Kelly had already been associated with loads of baggage, dating back to his marriage to minor Aaliyah Haughton in 1994. In 2017, Buzzfeed would later release an investigative report about his “cult,” where he dictated women’s actions, even ones as tedious as when captives like Kitti James would bathe.
January 27, 2019
At a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Chicago city attorneys revealed that an inspection this past month of R. Kelly’s two-story warehouse and studio on Justine Street had been used as a living area. The second floor was equipped with bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a lounge area with twenty seating arrangements that had been set up inside— all indicating that someone had took up residence within the studio. The building has more than sixty code violations, and the singer reportedly owes about $165,000 in rent. A county judge ordered that the recording studio only be used from 9am to 5pm until code violations are fixed.
Deputy corporation counsel Kimberly Roberts reported evidence of toiletries, robes, unstable staircases, alongside electrical problems and fire hazards. Roberts also expressed concerns with how living spaces were built without any confirmation from the city or required permits, a clue that the city is unaware if work was done properly. City inspectors are unsure about whether it was R. Kelly himself who did the work or the building owners.
Kelly’s attorney denied the use of the studio as a living area and expressed he and his client’s gratitude for the building not being shut down entirely. Another hearing has been scheduled for the seventh of February, where the city of Chicago and R. Kelly will argue about whether the studio should be closed altogether.
Spectators have taken to Twitter to express their discernment with the situation, stating that newscasters “have spent way too much time on this non-story.” Many feel that the talk should be centered around the recent rise in talk about Kelly’s sexual assault claims and less about building code violations. Some even feel that this secret hideout could be a piece of evidence for past allegations, where women like Asante McGee and Kitti James (who had stated she resided in Kelly’s home in Chicago) are thought to have once been held captive. Others, however, seem to be just as invested in this news of the restrictions on the property. While not defending R. Kelly, onlookers feel that the circumstances also illustrate the vindictive and personalized nature of code enforcement in Chicago.
