R&B artist R. Kelly, convicted of sex offenses, has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and YouTuber Tasha K, alleging negligence and invasion of privacy. The suit claims that prison officers unlawfully accessed Kelly’s information and shared it with Tasha K, who then posted it on her YouTube channel. Kelly is seeking justice while appealing his recent convictions. Taiyler S. Mitchell reported
R&B artist R. Kelly, who is a convicted sex offender, has recently filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and YouTube personality Tasha K. The 56-year-old singer is alleging negligence, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and various other violations. In a 28-page complaint submitted to the U.S. District Court in Chicago, R. Kelly claims that numerous Prison Bureau officers unlawfully accessed his personal information. He specifically accuses a former prison officer of sharing his prison records with Tasha K, who operates a popular celebrity gossip YouTube channel called “UnWinewithTashaK” with over 1 million subscribers.
This lawsuit comes as R. Kelly is appealing his 2021 and 2022 convictions, which include charges of sex trafficking, child pornography, and racketeering. By filing this new lawsuit, he is seeking a trial by jury. According to the complaint, a confidential investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General revealed that at least 60 BOP officers had made unauthorized access to R. Kelly’s sensitive and private information maintained by the BOP.
The complaint further states that one officer, referred to as Officer A, illegally accessed Kelly’s records more than 150 times and emailed some of the records to herself before providing them to Tasha K (Latasha Kebe). This violation is said to have breached the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Tasha K, who had previously been successfully sued by Cardi B for defamation in 2022 and subsequently filed for bankruptcy, allegedly used the stolen information to harass R. Kelly and create chaos in his personal life. She posted the obtained information on her YouTube channel, including phone call details, visitor logs, and email communications between Kelly and various women.
Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has expressed that the officers’ alleged misconduct has severely impacted Kelly’s ability to communicate with others. She stated that Kelly no longer feels comfortable speaking to anyone, even his own lawyers, due to the consequences of this event. Kelly’s legal team argues that this lawsuit is necessary to hold those responsible accountable, as the Department of Justice investigation did not result in charges against the wrongdoers.
Jurors in both Brooklyn, New York City, and Chicago have convicted Kelly of racketeering, sex trafficking charges, and child pornography charges. As a result, he has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison. These convictions have caused a significant division between his fans and advocates for his victims, considering Kelly’s previous standing as a prominent figure in the Black community. The allegations against him led to years of activism by Black women, a documentary, and social media campaigns.
Neither the Bureau of Prisons nor Tasha K has responded to requests for comment on this matter..