R&B artist R. Kelly, a convicted sex offender, has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and YouTube personality Tasha K, alleging negligence and invasion of privacy. Kelly claims that prison officers unlawfully accessed his information and shared it with Tasha K, who then used it to harass him on her YouTube channel. Kelly is appealing his recent convictions and is seeking a trial by jury for this new lawsuit. Taiyler S. Mitchell reported
R&B artist R. Kelly, who is a known convicted sex offender, has recently filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and popular YouTube personality Tasha K. In the lawsuit, the 56-year-old singer has cited negligence, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and other violations. R. Kelly claims that numerous officers from the Prison Bureau unlawfully accessed his personal information. He specifically accuses a former prison officer, identified as Officer A, of sharing his confidential prison records with Tasha K, the host of the YouTube channel “UnWinewithTashaK,” which boasts over 1 million subscribers.
According to the 28-page complaint submitted to the U.S. District Court in Chicago, R. Kelly alleges that a thorough investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General revealed that at least 60 Bureau of Prisons officers had made unauthorized access to his sensitive and private information. Officer A, in particular, illegally accessed Kelly’s records over 150 times and proceeded to email certain records to herself before providing them to Tasha K. These actions are said to have violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
This lawsuit comes at a time when R. Kelly is in the process of appealing his convictions on charges including sex trafficking, child pornography, and racketeering. With this new legal action, he is seeking a trial by jury. The lawsuit also highlights that Tasha K, who was previously sued by Cardi B for defamation in 2022 and later filed for bankruptcy, allegedly used the stolen information to harass R. Kelly with her massive following, causing chaos in his personal life. Tasha K reportedly posted the stolen information, including phone call details between Kelly and women, visitor logs, and email communications, on her YouTube channel.
Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, has emphasized that the officers’ alleged violations have severely impacted Kelly’s ability to communicate with others. She stated that Kelly no longer feels comfortable talking to anyone, including his own legal team, due to the aftermath of this event. The attorneys representing R. Kelly have clarified that they filed this lawsuit to seek justice since the Department of Justice investigation did not result in charges against those involved in the alleged misconduct.
It is worth noting that R. Kelly has already faced convictions in both Brooklyn and Chicago. Jurors in Brooklyn found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges on September 27, 2021, while Chicago jurors convicted him of child pornography charges on September 14, 2022. These convictions led to a cumulative prison sentence of over 30 years for the singer.
R. Kelly, who was once a respected figure in the Black community, has faced significant backlash and division among his fans and advocates for his victims. The allegations against him sparked activism led by Black women, a powerful documentary, and social media campaigns. It is clear that his crimes have had far-reaching consequences.
As of now, neither the Bureau of Prisons nor Tasha K have responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit..