News

Judge OKs Public Viewing of R. Kelly Sex Tape

The alleged R. Kelly sex tape will be trapped in the closet no more; it's spreading its wings and flying into plain public view, by order of Judge Vincent Gaughan. Despite objections from both the prosecution and the defense that the tape was too lewd for public consumption, and could embarrass the now-21-year-old female co-star of the film, Gaughan ruled that the tape was the "crux and linchpin" of the case against Kelly, and that the very curious press and public should not be excluded from the viewing party.

The girl may have been as young as 13 when the video was made, and is not believed to have been any older than 15. Kelly has been charged with 14 counts of child pornography, and has pleaded not guilty across the board.

Gaughan's ruling surprised and frustrated not only the attorneys on the case, but also a range of victim advocates and legal reporters. Even though the tape is said to be extremely graphic in nature, featuring proclivities of Kelly's that comedian Dave Chappelle would later famously spoof, Gaughan said that closing the courtroom for a jury-only viewing could potentially undermine the public's faith in the eventual verdict.

The case is further complicated by the fact that not only does Kelly deny being the man caught on video, but the alleged victim also denies being on the tape. The trial is set for this summer, though an exact date has yet to be fixed.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.12.06