The latest witness to testify against R. Kelly at his New York racketeering and sexual abuse trial has accused the troubled star of locking her in his studio for days and raping her.
The woman, named Sonja, took the stand on Thursday (September 9) and revealed she became the singer’s sex slave in 2003 after approaching Kelly for an interview.
She told the court the alleged incident took place at Kelly’s home studio in Chicago, Illinois after meeting him at a shopping mall in Utah, while working as an intern at a local radio station.
She hoped landing an interview with R. Kelly would boost her career.
The accuser claimed R. Kelly insisted she should chat to him at his home and his associates reportedly arranged and paid for her flight.
Upon her arrival, she made it clear she was there to interview Kelly and nothing else, but his handlers gave her a list of rules, which included one that she must ask for permission to eat or go to the bathroom.
She claims minutes later she was locked in the room for several days.
At one point she asked to eat but after taking just a few bites, she became drowsy and fell asleep. When she woke up she allegedly saw R. Kelly putting on his pants and realized her underwear had been removed, and she felt like “something had been inside” her.
One of Kelly’s associates later told her that he would not have time for an interview and she was told “you can’t tell anybody.”
Sonja was not one of the women, who has previously come forward with accusations against R. Kelly, prompting his defense lawyers to argue she had fabricated her story.
During their cross-examination, the accuser raged, “I was sexually assaulted. There was something in me that was something I had not invited.”
R. Kelly has denied all accusations against him.