R. Kelly Overdoses in Prison, Rushed to Hospital, Lawyer Says

His hospitalization comes after Kelly's legal team filed an emergency motion for his release, citing an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving prison officials and a gang leader.

R. Kelly was hospitalized last week following an alleged overdose at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, according to his attorney.

In court documents, lawyer Beau B. Brindley accused prison staff of giving Kelly an "overdose quantity" of medication while he was held in solitary confinement on the night of June 12, 2025. The next morning, Kelly reportedly felt faint and dizzy, saw black spots, and collapsed while trying to reach his cell door.

"He crawled to the door of the cell and lost consciousness," Brindley stated, adding that Kelly was transported by ambulance to Duke University Hospital. During the ride, Kelly allegedly overheard a prison officer say, "This is going to open a whole new can of worms."

Doctors at the hospital, according to Brindley, diagnosed blood clots in both of Kelly's legs and lungs. However, the singer was allegedly removed from the hospital before receiving full treatment.

"It is undeniable. Mr. Kelly's life is in jeopardy right now because the Bureau of Prisons denied him necessary surgery to clear clots from his lungs," Brindley said. "He could die from this condition, and they are letting it happen."

Kelly's legal team had also previously filed an emergency motion for his release, citing a separate alleged murder-for-hire plot. According to court filings, a sworn affidavit by terminally ill inmate and Aryan Brotherhood member Mikeal Glenn Stine claims prison officials offered him early release in exchange for killing Kelly.

Stine alleged the plan involved authorities staging the murder, then destroying the evidence, allowing him to escape and remain free. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year sentence for federal sex crimes involving minors.