Muskan Sharma is a law student at Calcutta University. Sparkle was also the one to call her family members when she would find out that the niece was alone in the studio with him. black entertainment news, parenting tips and beauty secrets that are specifically for black women. On the stand, the woman, who is now 37 and identified as just Jane Doe, shared details of how she met Kelly and how they had sex hundreds of times, and he made videos of their encounters which sometimes also involved other minor girls. You just know your family. There's no denying it. Back in 2008, Kelly ended up being acquitted on charges of child pornography. Sparkle's age is 47. Genson suggested that Sparkle next tried to conspire with former Kelly manager Barry Hankerson "about doing something bad to Robert. Profession: Singer. "I had a nasty taste in my mouth after seeing what I saw, and after many people, you know, didn't want me to speak out," Edwards told ET. Singer Sparkle has refuted testimony made by a witness recognized as Jane in R. Kellys criminal trial, where he faces charges for child pornography. For years, Sparkle has made claims about Kelly allegedly abusing her niece . Singer Sparkle found herself in the middle of R. Kellys federal child pornography trial. Prosecutors believe that there were many more girls, beyond the initially cited 12, who were victim to Kellys abuse. R. Kellys new case may end differently than his last. This encounter disheartened Sparkle and caused her to step back from her career in entertainment. The singer used social media to "put a few things in context.". 6 2019, Updated 5:51 a.m. Yesterday, R. Kelly sat down with Gayle King for his first interview since new allegations of sexual abuse against the singer have been revealed, most due in part to Lifetime's docu-series, Surviving R. Kelly. Sparkle added that she and Kelly were never romantically involved as painted by the victim. She eventually became a key witness in Kelly's 2008 child pornography case, claiming that the young girl in the video in question was her 14-year-old niece. This decades-long history of abuse was documented through witness and survivor testimony in the dream hampton produced documentary Surviving R. Kelly which aired on Lifetime this past January. Whitten Sabbatini for . Kelly would ultimately be acquitted on charges pertaining to the tape. She also attested to having sexual encounters with the singer hundreds of times since the age of 14. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Sparkle did try and make up for her mistake, and I don't believe her niece in saying rub his head, I believe the niece is permanently damaged by Robert and her parents and her parents told her to say that to take the blame off of them. The young girl who was recorded in the infamous and wide-spread tape of R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts is going back on years of precedence and cooperating with investigators in the child pornography case against the R&B singer. What, exactly, is the relationship between Kelly and Sparkle, and what are the claims being made against the infamous artist? With Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith. Things heated up when Genson accused her of being in on a scheme to either use the tape to extort Kelly or to make money by mass-producing it. If convicted, he'd have to register as a sex offender. We were very cordial.". She's being exposed to the world. "We've had contact all along with the girl's family," Chicago police spokesperson Officer Pat Camden said. Sparkle talked about her niece working with the feds and said she couldnt be more thrilled about it. Prosecutors are pushing for another conviction on those charges to add to R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering by a New York jury last month. "You couldn't break the chain with us. For full coverage of the ongoing R. Kelly case, see The R. Kelly Trial Reports. Three sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever. Still, she admitted, she hadn't had the same level of success on her sophomore album with Motown as she did with her Kelly-produced debut, and she hadn't received any royalties from Kelly. Earlier this week, the disgraced singer and his legal team appeared in a Chicago court, where Kelly faces several criminal charges. Sparkle replied with a strong denial. According to the niece that is identified as Jane Doe, her aunt said,That I should rub his head and ask him to take that role in my life. as the young teens Godfather. For full coverage of R. Kelly, see "The R. Kelly Reports.". In 2001, the singer Sparkle (seen above in the 2019 Lifetime series Surviving R Kelly), whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, went public with allegations that R Kelly sexually assaulted her niece . seek information on a wide variety of topics including African-American hair care, health issues, relationship Sparkle Net Worth: Sparkle is an American R&B singer who has a net worth of $600 thousand. While the witness is addressed in court as Jane, her story included identifying details, including that she is Sparkles niece. Those suspicions were heightened after a now-infamous video, which shows Kelly intimately engaging. [He] cant tell me what I can and cant do. ", More cases against R. Kelly will come forward, Sparkle predicted, if they don't settle out of court first. Kelly faces 14 counts of child pornography -- seven for directing, seven for producing. Sparkle testified against Kelly in 2008 but, as we all know, he was found not guilty. Years ago, Kelly was accused of abusing Sparkles niece, but during Kellys current trial, the niece claimed that Sparkle encouraged the interactions. Sparkle first introduced her then-12-year-old niece to Kelly in 1997 a decision that still haunts her to this day. Its impact cannot be overstated and a month later, Kelly was facing new charges in Chicago. @lifetimetv SRK For Girls/Women linktr.ee/isparklei Posts Reels Videos Tagged MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. 'You just know your family. According to reports, Sparkle was allegedly suggested by the niece. The girl's mother -- Sparkle's sister -- didn't want to see the tape and didn't want to talk about it, she said. She writes for Thirsty for News, covering world news and entertainment. Career. Fast forwarding to now, R Kelly pretty much got a life sentence plus he still has more charges to face. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Music Videos. Nope, Sparkle didn't take a payout meanwhile R sending them on trips and paying for their houses. Stephanie 'Sparkle' Edwards Although she praised her niece for finally cooperating with prosecutors, the singer says that she is at the center of a "family feud." Twitter Debates 16-Year Age Gap Between Jaylen Brown & Mouthwatering Meemaw Bernice Burgos, Barbie Gyal Nicki Minaj Returns From Hiatus And Sets Di Road Ablaze At Trinidad Carnival 2023, Rain Pon Meeee: Ashanti Reminds Everyone How Feathered And FINE She Was At Trinidad Carnival 2019, Chaka Khan Shows No Mercy Blasting Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey & Other Names On Rolling Stone's 'Greatest Singers' List, Funniest (And Pettiest) Tweets From NBA All-Star Weekend 2023. Photo Credit: Gary Miller for Getty Images). He rose to fame after singing as an eight-year-old in church before winning a $100,000 grand prize on the syndicated US television talent show, "Big Break," hosted by Natalie Cole. The Times reports, her lawyer says she is now cooperating with authorities. "I'm beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain I've tirelessly worked on moving over the. In @nytimes Feat. She said that his acquittal then affected her view of the #MeToo movement a decade later. No -- it was part of a shouting match during a contentious cross-examination between R. Kelly's defense attorney Ed Genson and the prosecution's star witness, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards. All Rights Reserved. "I have an ex-manager that's been on my back," he said. "You have no idea whether this was put together by someone trying to get money from Robert, do you?" The Times. In 2002, Kelly re-entered Sparkle's life when a video that appeared to depict sex between Kelly and a 14-year-old came to the attention of police. Sparkle went on to sign with Motown Records and released a second album, titled "Told You So," in 2000. Sparkle: Directed by Salim Akil. SEPTEMBER 17: Singer R. Kelly appears standing beside his attorney, Steven Greenberg during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on September 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Her testimony sliced her family into factions, relegating her to years of . "She shared how she didn't see me as a survivor but she wanted to celebrate me for being the first one to stand up and bring to light what was going [on].". His whole M.O., he stated this to me not long ago, is he likes them when they are ripe and young because he can mold them into what he wants them to be and control their minds and make them do what women 'should' do. Among the issues covered in the investigatory program were allegations made by a former Kelly protege, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards. Now that her niece has finished testifying, Sparkle is speaking out again - and what she's saying is EXPLOSIVE. An R&B singer who was once Kelly's protg, Sparkle testified for more than an hour and a half Thursday afternoon during Kelly's child-pornography trial, describing how she introduced her niece . Sparkle Addresses Niece's Testimony Against R. Kelly The singer used social media to "put a few things in context." By DeMicia Inman August 22, 2022 4:12pm Singer R. Kelly leaves the. Knowing that theres no right answer to explain their ongoing actions and years of support for Robert once learning about that tape, the clear plan is to try and take me down because Ive been so vocal, she explained. Cardi B and Offset Meal Boycotted By Several McDonalds Franchise Owners, Gary Owens Estranged Wife Clowns His New Boo On The Gram, Da Brat Reveals Shes Pregnant at 48, Expecting Baby With Wife Jesseca Judy Dupart, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sex Crimes in Illinois. With Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps. Although a jury acquitted R. Kelly,. "We were thick as thieves," Sparkle said of the family's closeness before the meeting. "Surviving R.Kelly," a Lifetime docu-series that's airing in six parts on three nights about musician R. Kelly, has reinvigorated the public's interest in the long list of accusations made against the controversial singer. We were a gospel group just years prior so me thinking about them for them was partly programmed in meagain, Because Robert was given the opportunity to have his own imprint, record label, I introduced my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece to Robert at CRC studios in 1997 in hopes of landing my niece a career in this industry, not a concert as she testified, Sparkle said.