R Kelly formally appeals to Donald Trump to commute his 31-year prison sentence

Singer R Kelly has formally asked Donald Trump to commute his sentence. Photograph: Antonio Perez/AFP/Getty Images

R Kelly has formally appealed to the US president, Donald Trump, for a reduction of his 31-year prison sentence for racketeering, sex trafficking and child abuse images, in a filing to the Department of Justice.

The 59-year-old R&B singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty in 2021 of leading a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual activity and pornography, for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In 2022 he was found guilty on three counts of child abuse images and three counts of child enticement and sentenced to 20 years in prison, which he is serving nearly entirely concurrently but for one additional year.

He is currently serving his combined 31-year sentence at a North Carolina federal prison and is currently not eligible for release until January 2046.

Kelly’s request for commutation was revealed in court records made public this week by the office of the pardon attorney, which reviews filings for executive clemency for the White House.

Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, has been publicly lobbying Trump for more than a year. The request for commutation, made public in court documents, is listed as currently “pending” and is not a request for a full pardon.

In 2025 Brindley filed an emergency motion seeking Kelly’s immediate release from federal custody to home detention, claiming that the singer’s life was in danger, alleging three prison officials had orchestrated a plot for a terminally ill inmate to kill the singer in exchange for an early release.

Brindley wrote in a statement at the time that “the only thing that can protect Mr Kelly behind the prison walls now is the fact that now the world is watching. And we will call on the courts and President Trump to help put an end to the corruption that now threatens Mr Kelly’s life.”

The motion was denied.

Kelly has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html