White House Issues Response After ‘Random’ R. Kelly Pardon Request

Singer and convicted sex offender R. Kelly made an official request to President Trump to have his 31-year prison sentence commuted, prompting a response from the White House.

The Chicago Tribune first reported this week that the request was made and that Kelly was seeking a reduced sentence rather than a full pardon. The disgraced R&B singer was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in 2021, then convicted of producing child pornography in a separate 2022 federal trial in Chicago.

A White House rep confirmed the request was made but did not indicate if or when it would be approved.

“This appears to be a random submission through the public portal which anyone can submit an application through,” the spokesperson said in a statement, as reported by Rolling Stone. “The submission of a pardon request should not be interpreted to mean anything other than an individual has chosen to submit a request. The team that reviews clemency requests at the White House is not tracking this request at this time. The White House has a thorough review process for all clemency requests, with the President being the ultimate decider.”

Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, has been seeking Trump’s help in reducing his client’s sentence since last year, and specifically asked that the singer be removed from prison and put on house arrest due to alleged safety concerns.

The singer’s legal rep claimed that three prison officials recruited a terminally ill inmate to kill the singer, promising him early release if he complied.

“The only thing that can protect Mr. Kelly behind the prison walls now is the fact that now the world is watching,” Brindley wrote in a statement last year. “We will call on the courts and President Trump to help put an end to the corruption that now threatens Mr. Kelly’s life.”

The motion was denied, as The Guardian noted.

Kelly isn’t the only recording artist seeking Trump’s help to get out of jail. The White House shot down rumors last fall that a presidential pardon for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was imminent.

Diddy is currently serving a four-year sentence after being found guilty of two prostitution charges. He was facing up to 20 years in prison following a high-profile trial in New York, but was acquitted of the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

TMZ broke the story of the pardon in October and said it stood by the story even after the White House denied it. As of now, Diddy is still in prison.