R Kelly investigation: Female fans are trying to pay the singer's bail
There have been numerous GoFundMe accounts set up to pay the bail
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Your support makes all the difference.Female fans are offering to pay R Kelly’s bond, which has been set at $100,000, after the singer was charged with 10 counts of sexual abuse.
The offers were reported by Chicago Tribune reporter Will Lee, who said on Twitter: “A court clerk just told me their office was receiving calls from female R Kelly fans wanting to know how to post bail for him. The love is real, I guess.”
The singer, whose bail was set at $1m on Saturday by Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr, spent the weekend in jail after he was unable to pay the $100,000 required to free himself from police custody.
According to Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, the Grammy-winning singer could not pay the fee because his finances have been “mismanaged” and he “really doesn’t have any money at this point”.
Greenberg also said the payment is “complicated” because Kelly has to “rely on others acting on his behalf,” the Associated Press reports.
In addition to offering to pay the fee, fans have taken it upon themselves to raise money through GoFundMe campaigns for the singer - who pleaded not guilty to the criminal sexual abuse charges on Monday.
On GoFundMe, there have been more than 45 campaigns set up to “free R Kelly”.
“Need help freeing an innocent man,” one of the campaigns reads.
So far, just one of the GoFundMe accounts has raised more than $5 - with the leading account showing $25 raised of its $5,000 goal.
On Monday, the Associated Press reported Kelly had still not posted bail.
Kelly was indicted on 10 counts of sexual abuse against four victims - three of which were underage at the time of the sexual abuse.
Kelly’s next court date is scheduled for 22 March.
The Independent has contacted the Cook County Court for comment.