Jury selection has begun in the trial of disgraced RnB star R Kelly, seen here in 2019NEW YORK - R. Kelly's highly anticipated sex abuse trial got underway Wednesday in New York where the disgraced R&B superstar faces a slew of charges, including racketeering and sexual exploitation of a child. For decades the Grammy-winning artist born Robert Sylvester Kelly has faced accusations including making child pornography, sex with minors, operating a sex cult and sexual battery. His career began to crumble in January 2019 after the release of the explosive docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly," which renewed focus on the R&B luminary's checkered history in a post-#MeToo era. The New York trial is the first to put Kelly on the stand in connection with the raft of indictments. The trial is due to last a month and a jury of seven men and five women will decide Kelly's fate.

Source: Bangkok Post August 18, 2021 14:48 UTC