R. Kelly has filed for clemency with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The disgraced rapper’s lawyer, Beau B. Brindley, told TMZ on Wednesday, July 15, that he worked with Kelly, 59, on the petition to commute his combined 30-year sentence, adding that the pair submitted the necessary paperwork one day prior to the DOJ’s Office of the Pardon Attorney.
Kelly is seeking to commute his combined 30-year sentence stemming from his two convictions. He is currently behind bars at FCI Butner medium security prison in Butler, North Carolina, after he was found guilty of federal racketeering, sex trafficking charges and several additional offenses.
Brindley told the outlet that he argued in the petition that the racketeering charge in Kelly’s New York case was an alleged abuse of power leading to an inappropriate charge. The attorney also claimed that Kelly is experiencing multiple health issues as a result of his incarceration, including a potentially dangerous blood clot located in his neck.
The Chicago Tribune reported on Tuesday, July 14, that Kelly’s request is currently pending. Us Weekly has reached out to Kelly’s lawyer and the Department of Justice’s spokesperson for comment.
Kelly was convicted in New York on nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking charges in September 2021. The following year, he was found guilty of producing and receiving child pornography and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity in his Chicago case. Kelly has vehemently denied all allegations of sexual abuse, sex trafficking and racketeering.
Following the ruling, Kelly received a combined 30-year sentence, five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. The “Ignition” musician appealed the court’s decision, but the judge’s ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court in February 2025. Kelly has since asked the Supreme Court to overturn his conviction, but the request to hear his case was denied in June 2025.
Kelly is not eligible for release until January 2046, per the Chicago Tribune.
UPDATE — 6/12/2025, 2:07 p.m. ET: R. Kelly’s attorney Beau B. Brindley confirmed that the embattled singer is seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. “We are in open discussions with people close to President Trump. And those discussions have expanded and intensified since we filed our motion,” Brindley told People on Thursday, June 12. […]
Brindley joined Kelly’s legal team last year, sharing his plans to reach out to President Donald Trump for assistance. (Kelly has a connection to Trump, 80, as the musician previously lived in Chicago’s Trump Tower.)
“We are in open discussions with people close to President Trump. And those discussions have expanded and intensified since we filed our motion,” Brindley told People in June 2025 “We believe that President Trump is the only person with the courage to help us.”
Trump has not publicly commented on Kelly’s legal case or request for assistance at the time of publication. However, he has offered pardons during his administration. He previously pardoned reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley who were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022.
