R. Kelly’s Trial Proves To Be Even More Traumatic For All Involved

R. Kelly‘s Chicago trial saw a scary moment go down in the courtroom on September 12 after a juror began to experience a panic attack and had to leave the room. It reportedly went down after the prosecution gave closing arguments, with TMZ claiming that the judge then excused the sufferer. Their name has not been released to the public, though it’s reported the panic attack sufferer was a white woman who has now been replaced on the case by a white male. Just like the original juror, the new addition to the juror has reportedly not seen the infamous “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary series in which several of his alleged victims spoke out against him.

The sudden juror change happened just one day before Kelly’s lead attorney will give his team’s closing arguments in the courtroom, per NPR, with jurors set to start deliberating to decide Kelly’s fate shortly after that.

In addition to the New York and Chicago trials, Kelly is also facing a charge in Minnesota, per Los Angeles Times. That case sees Kelly accused of solicitation after he allegedly propositioned a 17-year-old girl in 2001 by purportedly asking her to take off her clothes for him in exchange for $200. In 2019, Kelly did not show up for his first court appearance.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).