No, That Is Not R. Kelly Performing a Concert in Prison

Photos of R. Kelly performing a concert in prison have the internet going nuts. It turns out, these images are fake.

On Tuesday (April 25), images (below) surfaced that were purported to be from a sold-out concert R. Kelly was allegedly performing in the slammer, where he is serving 30 years in the Butner Federal Correction Complex in North Carolina for child sex crimes. One photo shows Kelly in a prison-orange color leather jacket singing onstage. Another image shows what looks like thousands of inmates gathered for the “concert.” Another pic shows R. Kelly appearing to pray in a prison-orange color hoodie. In yet another picture, the disgraced singer is seen with an IEM in his ear flanked by five other men as he appears to walk to his show.

Rightfully, many people questioned the authenticity of the photos, which have since been debunked by MandyNews. According to the site, the obviously doctored images are A.I. generated.

XXL has reached out to R. Kelly’s attorney and FCI Butner for comment.

R. Kelly, 56, is serving a virtual life sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges in 2021. In February, he was sentenced to another 20 years in a different child porn case. The sentence will run concurrently with his initial 30-year sentence. Last week, he filed an appeal of his 2021 conviction.

This isn’t the first story about R. Kelly allegedly still trying to continue his musical career behind bars. Last December, the surprise R. Kelly album I Admit hit streaming services, where the singer appears to confess to liking “young ladies.” The album was taken down from streaming services a short time later. Kelly’s attorney later said the singer had nothing to do with the release of the album.

See Images That Report to Show R. Kelly Performing a Concert in Prison Below