American singer-songwriter, R Kelly, who is facing racketeering and sexual abuse charges in a Brooklyn court, kept a gun by his side while forcing one of her victims to give him oral sex in a Los Angeles music studio, testified one of the witnesses in the case on Wednesday, reported AP.
“He had a weapon, so I wasn’t going to step out of line,” the witness said while recounting the 2018 episode at the R&B singer’s New York City sex-trafficking trial.
The witness also told the court that when she spotted Kelly with a gun, he demanded to know how many men she had seen naked. The singer also directed the witness to act “excited like a puppy” whenever she saw him, adding, “I still have a lot to teach you.”
Also read: Former Pirates pitcher sentenced to jail for child sexual assault
The woman also testified that the last time she saw Kelly at a New York City hotel suite, she resisted having sex with him. However, Kelly responded by warning her not to defy him, saying, “I’m an f—-ing legend.”
The witness got into a relationship, which went on to be a sexually abusive one when she was 19 and the singer allegedly intimated her throughout the period. The relationship resulted in her getting herpes from Kelly after which she filed a police complaint and sued the singer for not disclosing an STD.
After the complaint, he and his supporters threatened that they would release nude photos and other compromising material about her if she persisted with her allegations, she said.
The woman testified while only using her first name to protect her privacy.
Earlier in the day, the court also recorded the statement of a pastor, who reportedly got Kelly and budding musical artist Aaliyah, 15 at that time, married. He said that both the artists showed up in matching ‘jogging suits’ with one side of the leg pulled up for a 10-minute wedding ceremony in Chicago.
The pastor, Nathan Edmond, testified that he was recruited to marry Kelly and Aaliyah in 1994 as a favour for a friend after he was shown a marriage license claiming the girl was 18. He said he didn’t recognize the groom or the bride, who was wearing her hair down over her face.
Also read: US Singer Bob Dylan denies sexually abusing minor girl in 1965
Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.” She died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.
Prosecutor in the case said Kelly wanted to marry Aliyah to protect himself from future investigation and charge under the spousal privilege shield.
The ten-day trial has so far seen accusers claiming Kelly began sexually degrading them when they were still in their teens. On Monday, a male accuser also testified that Kelly performed a sex act on him on the pretext of giving him a break in the industry.
Kelly, a celebrated music artist has so far denied all the claims of sexual wrongdoings.
In the past, Kelly has also faced charges related to child pornography.