In this June 26, 2019 file photo, R&B singer R. Kelly, center, arrives at the Leighton Criminal Court building for an arraignment on sex-related felonies in Chicago. Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, against three men accused of threatening and intimidating women who have accused Kelly of abuse, including one man suspected of setting fire to a vehicle in Florida. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky, File)
Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against three men accused of threatening and intimidating women who have accused R&B singer R. Kelly of abuse, including one man suspected of setting fire to a vehicle in Florida.
A longtime friend of the indicted singer offered to pay a victim $500,000 to keep her from cooperating in Kelly's prosecution, authorities said, while a manager and adviser of Kelly threatened to release sexually explicit photographs of a woman who sued Kelly.
The Grammy-award winning musician has denied ever abusing anyone and has pleaded not guilty to dozens of state and federal sexual misconduct charges in Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.
The charges range from sexual assault to heading a racketeering scheme aimed at supplying Kelly with girls. Kelly also is accused of having unprotected sex with a girl in 2015 without disclosing he had herpes.
Prosecutors described a third man accused of intimidating witnesses as being related to a former Kelly publicist. They said Michael Williams, 37, of Valdosta, Georgia, traveled to Florida in June and set fire to an SUV parked outside a residence where one of Kelly's victims was staying.
Williams also conducted Internet searches for "the detonation properties of fertilizer and diesel fuel, witness intimidation and witness tampering and countries that do not have extradition with the United States," authorities said in a news release.
A message was sent to Williams' attorney seeking comment.
Elliot Wolf, EVP of Digital at Wolf Entertainment, and Ben Arnon CRO at Curio, join Cheddar News to discuss the new NFT project called the Wolf Society.
Darnell M. Hunt, Dean of Social Sciences at UCLA an co-author of UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the latest report reveals TV content from diverse writers and with diverse casts resonated with pandemic audiences.
Tony award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to discuss the upcoming third season of the podcast, Being Seen. As Rose's first time hosting the series, she explained that it was important for her to do so to offer a unique perspective potentially with the power to change narratives. "We have the ability in our media and our entertainment to change the space in which Black women are seen, to change the narrative of the strong Black woman, and to show a more humanistic view of Black women and Black femmes that will bring people to an understanding and a connection that maybe they didn't otherwise have," she said. Rose also touched on her role in the Netflix series "Maid."
Paid family & medical leave is left out of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better domestic policy plan. Abby Vesoulis, reporter for TIME joins Cheddar News to breakdown what this means for Americans.
Oatly Chief Sustainability Officer, Ashley Allen joins Cheddar News to talk about food waste and hows its been left off the table in the upcoming COP26 agenda. Ashley will be on the ground at COP26 and advocating for this conversation to get the attention it deserves.
Carlo's flying solo today, talking COP26 and climate change, another racially charged trial gets underway, SCOTUS takes on abortion and a stunning rise in traffic deaths points to a bigger societal breakdown sparked by the pandemic.
Apple reported strong fourth quarter earnings, but sales fell below expectations. CEO Tim Cook said chip shortages and manufacturing delays cost the company $6 billion. The issues have led to the newly-launched iPhone 13 Pro being in short supply around the world, as well as to back orders for Apple's new Macbook Pro. Exponential Investment Partners Managing Partner Kevin Riley joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Electric bike company Dance recently raised $19.4 million, just weeks after rolling out its e-bike subscription service in Berlin. Dance allows users to subscribe to use an e-bike for around €79, or about $91, a month. Dance says its subscription model allows the company to reuse and refurbish its products, and further its mission to build more sustainable and livable cities. Dance founder and CEO Eric Quidenus-Wahlforss joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
How much real money would you pay for a virtual plot of land? Developing technology is introducing everyone in the real world to new, virtual worlds, like Decentraland. In this metaverse economy, users are buying virtual real estate at high value – and it’s not just the average Joe that’s looking to invest. Company's like Facebook are betting big.
