Since the news of her nieces cooperation has been made public, Sparkle says she is thrilled. Sparkle, who had a hit with Kelly in 1998 called "Be Careful," told radio DJ Adimu of the Beat (KKBT) on April 3 that her niece was a fledging rapper whom she introduced to Kelly. However, her sister Valerie didn't want to do anything about the tape, and the family became divided. Absolutely NOT! She added that there is a family feud, and the victims testimony is a clear plan to try to take her down.. At the time, she and her family denied her appearance in the video and refused to testify. Trust me. What, exactly, is the relationship between Kelly and Sparkle, and what are the claims being made against the infamous artist? If convicted, he'd have to register as a sex offender. The woman, who is now in her 30s and had been identified by singer Sparkle as her niece, had refused to testify against R. Kelly in his 2008 trial, which resulted in his acquittal. Sparkle, wearing a touch of silver glitter on her face, testified that in December 2001, she got a phone call from an attorney telling her that a relative of hers was on a sex tape she needed to see, at which point an associate of the attorney's came to her home and played her the tape. Stephanie Edwards (born May 13, 1975), better known by her stage name Sparkle, is an American R&B singer. In court, Sparkles now-37-year-old victim niece told the court R Kelly starting having sex with her when she was only 14, claiming they had sex hundreds of times before she turned 18. "You have no idea whether this was put together by someone trying to get money from Robert, do you?" "Of course not. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She would go on to release a successful self-titled album in 1998, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts. The woman who is known as an early protg of Kelly in the 1990s and goes by the stage name Sparkle had previously testified in Kelly's 2008 trial and the 'Surviving R. Kelly' documentary as she had identified her niece as the girl in a porn video that circulated in Chicago. "Like she's a prostitute!" But after R. and I parted ways, it was me not watching over her. I believe that [the police] have a lot that they are actually going to bring to light.". MadameNoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, Singer Sparkle found herself in the middle of R. Kellys federal child pornography trial. Sparkle did cooperate at the time and testified against Kelly at trial, a step that reportedly led to her estrangement from her family for years. I went at it alone. She eventually became a key witness in Kelly's 2008 child pornography case, claiming that the young girl in the video in question was her 14-year-old niece. The girl's mother -- Sparkle's sister -- didn't want to see the tape and didn't want to talk about it, she said. Sparkle said that she had discussions with Hankerson, who was also Aaliyah's uncle, about signing to his Blackground record label about two weeks before Aaliyah's death in 2001, but that discussions fell apart. R. Kelly was later acquitted of all charges. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! But things have changed since 2008. Jurors and observers heard the gory details from the 14-year-old, who disclosed that the singer began grooming the 14-year-old victim and began having sex with her at just 15 years old when Kelly was around 30 years old. The singer used social media to "put a few things in context.". Sparkle went on to sign with Motown Records and released a second album, titled "Told You So," in 2000. Sparkle first started singing in her fa Stephanie Edwards (born May 13, 1975), better known by her stage name Sparkle is an American RB singer. For full coverage of R. Kelly, see "The R. Kelly Reports.". [article id="1587950"]The mother of another friend of the alleged girl on the tape[/article] cried when she talked about seeing the tape for the first time and recognizing her daughter's friend, saying she was "100 percent certain" it was her by her face, her hairstyle and her voice. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Last week, Kellywas arrested for an additional 13 counts of federal sex trafficking and child pornography charges. The video was of a man urinating on a little girl while she called him daddy. She says "There have been too many girls to count. Its impact cannot be overstated and a month later, Kelly was facing new charges in Chicago. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. he asked. Since the news of her niece's cooperation has been made public, Sparkle says she is thrilled. Robert didnt allow pretty much anyone to speak to me, Edwards alleges in the new show. CHICAGO -- "Sweetie, I'm not trying to get any money for this!". 2 on the R&B charts and was certified gold soon after . The woman disclosed that her aunt and her parents knew about her being around Kelly. "But until our investigation is . Im beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain Ive tirelessly worked on moving over the years is now being assisted with the help of my niece and her parents! Still, she admitted, she hadn't had the same level of success on her sophomore album with Motown as she did with her Kelly-produced debut, and she hadn't received any royalties from Kelly. Its not clear to what extent shes working with investigators, but her attorney, Christopher L. Brown, confirmed that she is indeed cooperating. Recording artist Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards accused R. Kelly of having sex with her 14-year-old niece at his 2008 trial. Kelly would ultimately be acquitted on charges pertaining to the tape. He did say, however, that not all the evidence had been revealed (see [article id="1453299"]"R. Kelly Settles Civil Suit, Defends Himself On Radio"[/article]). The long-running criminal case of R. Kelly consistently takes strange turns that leaves fans perplexed and for which the case becomes more complicated. In 2002, the singer Sparkle, whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, claimed her niece was the underage girl in an infamous sex video featuring R. Kelly. As news of Janes testimony went public, Sparkle took to social media to refute the claims. In the 1960s, three sisters form a girl group and soon become local sensations with major label interest, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart. Whats your take on it? In @nytimes Feat. She told me that I should ask him to be my godfather, she shared according to CNN, explaining that deepening the relationship established trust. Earlier this week, the disgraced singer and his legal team appeared in a Chicago court, where Kelly faces several criminal charges. Though she hadn't witnessed anything between Kelly and her niece that could be considered inappropriate, Sparkle said she saw hints of things that she didn't want to acknowledge at the time, "little hints of something, little touches," that in hindsight concerned her. 1 on iTunes. She said she regretted bringing her niece to Kelly's studio and later his home -- "my mistake," Sparkle said. The partnership between the two dissipated over creative differences, leading her to amicably ask for release from the label, according to MTV. Fast forwarding to now, R Kelly pretty much got a life sentence plus he still has more charges to face. Prosecutors believe that there were many more girls, beyond the initially cited 12, who were victim to Kellys abuse. Sparkle, who is reportedly the aunt of the 14-year-old who testified that she was introduced to R. Kelly by her aunt, who encouraged her to ask the singer to be his god-daughter and entice him by rubbing his head and sitting on his lap, is disputing the claim. She. For full coverage of the ongoing R. Kelly case, see The R. Kelly Trial Reports. In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost her the relationship with her family. She shared that she feels these are lies organized by her sister as a method of sabotage. Apple Music Film, TV & Stage. "We've had contact all along with the girl's family," Chicago police spokesperson Officer Pat Camden said. Close Menu. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The Times. An R&B singer who was once Kelly's protg, Sparkle testified for more than an hour and a half Thursday afternoon during Kelly's child-pornography trial, describing how she introduced her niece . She grew up in Chicago, Illinois and first met Kelly in 1989. For years, Sparkle has made claims about Kelly allegedly abusing her niece . Sparkle explains that she testified against Kelly in court, although he allegedly tried to bribe her. Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head? Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. | Follow on Twitter: @BridgetEE and IG: @Bridgetee26, Source: MadameNoire.com/iOne Digital / MadameNoire. Her family eventually began to allow her to visit with Kelly without an adult present. 11 Songs. A post shared by Sparkle (Stephanie Edwards) (@isparklei). Of course Im in full unwavering support of them and their act of courage.. Sparkle was the first and only successful artist to release an album on Kelly's Rockland label.Sparkle's dbut album, the self-titled Sparkle, was released on May 19, 1998.The album debuted at No. "She's doing exactly what he told her to do. According to reports, Sparkle was allegedly suggested by the niece. One of those relatives, singer Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, testified Thursday that she had introduced the alleged victim to Kelly, and that the girl called him her "Godfather." A new development in the case has resulted from the Sparkles nieces recent admission of the truth. Genson accused Sparkle of being bitter and characterized the end of her working relationship with Kelly as a firing. Kellys trial is ongoing, with the sex tapes of other underaged victims set to be played for jurors. "I'm beyond pleased to finally hear the mountain I've tirelessly worked on moving over the. Shortly after the tape was released, the woman's aunt - 1990s R&B singer Sparkle - came forward and blasted her former mentor R Kelly. She got . While a lot of people thinking that Sparkle was the one who introduced her niece to R Kelly and left her there, she explains that there were many other family members more involved than she was. The federal charges are separate from the 10 counts of sexual abuse Kelly received in February in Chicago and different from the other 11- sexual misconduct counts he was slapped with in May in that same city. FAQ + Create an Account / Login. In an Instagram video, Sparkle called the confusion a family feud and stated that she wanted to put a few things in context., Absolutely NOT!! Sparkle first started singing in her family's gospel music group. Sparkle says she became suspicious of R. Kelly's involvement with her teenage niece in 2001. Now that her niece has finished testifying, Sparkle is speaking out again - and what she's saying is EXPLOSIVE. His response thus far has been that the tapes are fabricated and that he's been blackmailed. Profession: Singer. At the time, the niece had denied it was her, although she changed her testimony on the stand on Thursday to confirm that it was her in the video. Sparkle has responded in a video (see below) to her nieces testimony: Absolutely NOT!! Earlier this week, Kelly who wore ankle shackles along with his orange jumpsuit, pled not guilty to the charges. She attributed details of her nieces testimony to misguidance and the inability to think independently. Among things hes already been convicted of, prosecutors accuse him of abusing young girls for decades and filming their encounters. In "Surviving R. Kelly," Edwards discusses Kelly's behavior toward her while they worked together. She went on to claim that Sparkle was the one who introduced her to Kelly, saying her auntencouraged her to rub Kellys headand sit on his lap. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He rose to fame after singing as an eight-year-old in church before winning a $100,000 grand prize on the syndicated US television talent show, "Big Break," hosted by Natalie Cole. "Sparkle" featured a duet with Kelly, titled "Be Careful.". The decades-long crusade cost the 46-year-old her closest relationships and stifled her own music career. In one of his few public comments on the issue, Kelly told Chicago radio station WGCI-FM in Chicago on April 4 that he couldn't comment on much of the scandal, per his attorney's advice. Muskan Sharma is a law student at Calcutta University. I cant help he lies told on me & under oath at the.. & cause ya Momma mad at me cause yall were FORCED to testify.. [shrug emoji].. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Sparkle was born Stephanie Edwards on May 13, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois. R. Kelly's former protg Stephanie Edwards, who recorded under the name Sparkle, also spoke on the verdict. Yes, Sparkle identified the 14-year-old as her sister's daughter and that the girl was engaging in filth with the Pied Piper of R&Pee. I'm happy to see the #MeToo movement and Time's Up movement are backing these women.