American singer-songwriter R Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday for using his stardom to run a sex trafficking scheme. 

While the conviction only came on Wednesday, accusations against the R&B singer began surfacing years ago, during the #MeToo movement and the release of the 2019 documentary ‘Surviving R Kelly’.

Back then, his attorneys had argued that he should not be getting a prison sentence of more than 10 years because he had a traumatic childhood that involved “severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.”

Also Read: A timeline of the allegations that led to R Kelly’s conviction

Robert Sylvester Kelly, popularly known as R Kelly, shot to fame for tracks like ‘I Believe I Can Fly’, ‘Trapped in the Closet’, and ‘I’m a Flirt’. 

Let us take a look at some key details about him. 

1. R Kelly was born on January 8, 1967. He is 55 years old. 

2. He was born in Chicago to Joanne Kelly, a Baptist and a former school teacher. The identity of his father, who wasn’t a part of his life, remains unknown. The R&B singer has three half-siblings. According to Wikijay, Kelly began singing in his local church’s choir when he was 8 years old. 

3. His first muse was a girl named Lulu, who he dated when he was 8. In his autobiography, Kelly revealed that his last play date with Lulu met a tragic end when an altercation with older children near a creek resulted in Lulu being pushed into the water and drowning due to the high current.

Also Read: ‘Convict him’: US Attorney urges jurors in R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial

4. In 1994, Kelly married late R&B icon Aaliyah. They got divorced the next year. 

5. Kelly’s second wife was American choreographer Andrea Lee. The couple tied the knot in 1996 and parted ways in 2009. They have three children together- Jaah Kelly, Robert Kelly Jr, and Joann Kelly.