Was R Kelly 'railroaded' into guilty verdict? Bill Cosby feels it will be overturned
A day after being found guilty, singer R.Kelly has a new backer in Bill Cosby. The former comedian and actor weighed in on Kelly's guilty verdict through spokesperson Andrew Wyatt on September 28, and it's safe to say Cosby believes the two men are in the same boat. After the uproar over Cosby's release, Kelly should be ready for a similar backlash, if Wyatt is to be believed.
On September 27, Kelly was convicted on all nine counts including racketeering and violations of the Mann Act, after a nine-hour deliberation by the jury. The landmark verdict provides some relief to victims of sex abuse, who felt cheated after Cosby's guilty verdict was overturned. As we reported, he's also looking into the option of suing Montgomery County. In the meantime though, the actor is keeping a pretty low profile and out of the public spotlight since his release.
Cosby's landmark guilty verdict is just one of the handful women have managed to win against the powerful Hollywood machine. Very few men have since been found guilty, let alone faced jail time for their crimes. The short list includes Harvey Weinstein and now Kelly. But as with Cosby, both men could eventually walk free, taking advantage of loopholes in the system as Cosby did.
Was Kelly railroaded into a guilty verdict?
The verdict against Kelly wasn't without criticism. His attorney Attorney Deveraux Cannick told reporters after the verdict was announced, "the government cherry-picked their version that they thought would support the continuation of the narrative." Cannick indicated Kelly wasn't expecting to be found guilty, noting, "Why would he expect this verdict given all the inconsistencies that we saw?"
Since the media was not allowed inside the courtroom during the trial, we don't have a full picture of all the evidence presented and the arguments made by prosecutors. We do know that around 50 witnesses came forward during the trial, only five of them in defense of Kelly. Reportedly, he remained stoic and emotionless during proceedings, something he hasn't always been. Back in 2019, Kelly exploited during an interview with CBS, saying, "This is not me! They lying on me! They're lying on me! I'm cool, bro. I'm cool. I'm good. I'm not afraid because I'm telling the truth."
Sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2022, giving Kelly plenty of time to fight the verdict before he is locked up. But should he fail to clear his name, he could be sentenced to anywhere between 10 years to life. However, according to Cosby that seems very unlikely.
Bill Cosby weighs in
TMZ managed to catch Wyatt on September 28 in Beverly Hills and asked for Cosby's thoughts on Kelly's verdict. "The guy was railroaded," Cosby said according to Wyatt. Cosby also reportedly slammed Gloria Allred, the lawyer who represented the victims in both Cosby's case and Kelly's. The comedian believes she's "running a familiar playbook", and did to Kelly "the same thing she did to him."
Wyatt called Kelly's verdict "an assault on successful Black men who are doing great things." He also said, "I see R. Kelly having a strong case on appeal," and believes the conviction will be overturned. Wyatt also noted how Kelly was made to sit in jail even before the verdict, while Weinstein was out on bond. "Fans have to say no to Gloria Allred and her racist tactics," and noted she "only goes after Black men who have money and success."
Whether or not Kelly can overturn his case is yet to be seen. Cannick was "sure" an appeal was on its way but did not confirm when it would be filed.