Stephanie Edwards made a statement to the New York Times: Sparkle, real name Stephanie Edwards, also positively identified R. Kelly as the man on the tape engaging in illegal sex with her 13-year-old niece. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sparkle Net Worth: Sparkle is an American R&B singer who has a net worth of $600 thousand. I also did not want that person to be me, Jane testified. Picture Perfect Poster Girl: Taylour Paige Stars As "Boogie's" Leading Lady, UPDATE: Jesseca Dupart Denies That LisaRaye Found Out About Da Brat's Pregnancy Via Social Media, Your Weekly Helping Of Tidday Meats & Treats On The Gram, Cougar Chronicles! Sparkle added that she and Kelly were never romantically involved as painted by the victim. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. Robert didnt allow pretty much anyone to speak to me, Edwards alleges in the new show. Heres Why. Genson pointed out that the girl is seen receiving money on the tape. The singer expressed hurt and called the testimony a result of their "family feud." In addition, Sparkle revealed that her niece attempting to implicate her in the case is an "absolute will of her mom" and an "unfortunate . Custom Content Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand . Please say its not you., Sparkle replied, Absolutely NOT! Bossip Comment Policy seek information on a wide variety of topics including African-American hair care, health issues, relationship To what degree, singer, Sparkle's niece, is cooperating with authorities is still not official. BridgetEE: A Music and Entertainment blogger/ Historian / Global Grind Freelance Writer However, her sister Valerie didn't want to do anything about the tape, and the family became divided. 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. On the stand, the woman, who is now 37 and identified as just Jane Doe, shared details of how she met Kelly and how they had sex hundreds of times, and he made videos of their encounters which sometimes also involved other minor girls. "We've had contact all along with the girl's family," Chicago police spokesperson Officer Pat Camden said. 5 Infamous Murder Cases Involving Athletes, Deadly Day for Rappers XXXTentacion and Wopo. Featured On. According to a federal indictment unsealed last week, Kelly gave the girl and her family gifts and money before and after the trial so she would lie to investigators, avoid questioning, and so she would not testify against him. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. I was ashamed.. 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. This decades-long history of abuse was documented through witness and survivor testimony in the dream hampton produced documentary Surviving R. Kelly which aired on Lifetime this past January. 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. Last week in court R. Kellys original case, Sparkles niece at 30 plus years took the stand to testify. I believe that [the police] have a lot that they are actually going to bring to light.". Im letting those who know and support me that this is a family feud, she says at the beginning of her video, reading notes from her mobile device. There's no denying it. The woman claimed that Kelly agreed to serve as her godfather and that her parents had given their blessing. 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]. put a few things in context,. "Sir, it's Robert and [my niece] on the tape," she said during the emotional trial, according to MTV. In the meantime, Kelly has hired private investigator Jack Palladino to help build his defense, Palladino's office confirmed. Singer Sparkle was the only member from the girl's family to testify against Kelly in 2008, identifying her niece in the tape. Its no secret the original R Kelly having relations with a minor (allegedly) video was all over the streets on VHS. Now lets observe what transpires in the court. We were still cool." Please say its not you, the user said. For full coverage of R. Kelly, see "The R. Kelly Reports.". Sparkle Live Music (@sparklelivemusic) Instagram photos and videos sparklelivemusic 731 posts 1,870 followers 467 following Sparkle Live Music Musician/band We play your dream music soundtrack Put a Sparkle in your big day. For full coverage of the ongoing R. Kelly case, see The R. Kelly Trial Reports. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Sparkle did, however, testify against Kelly when he was on trial for child porn that featured her niece. The singer's niece, who's allegedly the 14-year-old girl on the infamous 2008 sex tape, recently claimed Sparkle encouraged her to ask Kelly to be her godfather by enticing him. Sparkle first introduced her then-12-year-old niece to Kelly in 1997 a decision that still haunts her to this day. Kelly is now facing state and federal charges including sexual assault, obstruction of justice, child pornography, and racketeering. 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. Sparkle went on to sign with Motown Records and released a second album, titled "Told You So," in 2000. Following the allegations made in court, Sparkle took to social media to issue a video statement denying the claims. Photo Credit: Gary Miller for Getty Images). Uh Oh! Sparkle also heard the news of her niece's testimony and took to Instagram to discuss the allegations. [He] cant tell me what I can and cant do. [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. Kellys federal trial in Chicago began last week and he is faced with charges of producing and receiving child pornography, enticing minors to engage in criminal sexual activity, and obstruction charges. Sound it in the comments. 8771 1829 linktr.ee/sparklelivemusic Posts Reels Tagged Show More Posts from sparklelivemusic She's being exposed to the world. But let me chill. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. Sparkle added that her niece, sister and brother-in-law all reported that nothing was going on, however. According to The New York Times, the extent of this girls cooperation with authorities isnt clear, her lawyer, Christopher L. Brown spoke of her willingness to work with authorities days after Kelly was accused, in a federal indictment, of paying the girl and her father to lie to investigators to protect him. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places. In the old video footage, Kelly can be seen engaging in sex acts with the young girl, whom he also urinates on. READ: Report: R. Kellys Former Staffers Gave Feds 20 More Sex Tapes with Minors. Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, a recording artist as well, was born on May 13, 1975. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Jane, one of multiple alleged victims set to take the stand, revealed under oath that she was the teenager with Kelly in the explicit video recording that resulted in his arrest and child pornography trial in 2008. At the time, Sparkle identified the child in the video as her niece. I know them. But I didnt know that a bomb was coming.. If convicted, he'd have to register as a sex offender. 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. MadameNoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, According to The New York Times, the girl in the video is now working with investigators after the disgraced singer was arrested last week on a slew of federal charges, including sex trafficking, child pornography and obstruction of justice. Her testimony sliced her family into factions, relegating her to years of . Prosecutors believe that there were many more girls, beyond the initially cited 12, who were victim to Kellys abuse. One of the disgraced singers former artists has stepped forward to defend herself in the ongoing R. Kelly trial. 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. he asked. Advancing the culture and building bridges. Sparkle was born Stephanie Edwards on May 13, 1975 in Chicago, Illinois. The decades-long crusade cost the 46-year-old her closest relationships and stifled her own music career. 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. Fourteen witnesses had identified the girl in the video during the 20018 trial, but she and members of her family did not testify. - YouTube 0:00 / 25:48 Intro EXPOSED: PROOF Sparkle PIMPED Her Niece To R Kelly!| Andrea Kelly. Before Fame. Last week in court R. Kelly's original case, Sparkles niece at 30 plus years took the stand to testify. 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. You cant stifle me. 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's like a robot." Whats The Deal With This R. Kelly Album That Dropped? You just know your family. ), "I watched a few seconds of it, and I refused to watch the rest," Adra Gengler testified. 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. Sparkle has long asserted that her niece was abused by Kelly. 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. We later found out that the alleged little girl was the niece of R&B singer Sparkle best know for her smash hit slow cut 'Be Careful' with R. Kelly himself. The long-running criminal case of R. Kelly consistently takes strange turns that leaves fans perplexed and for which the case becomes more complicated. advice and career trends - and MadameNoire provides all of that. The "Better Be Careful" singer was one of the first people to go public about . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. Sparkle is best known for her 1998 R&B debut hit single 'Be Careful '. "I know my family. 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! The alleged victim on the tape is also the niece of the singer Sparkle, whom Kelly mentored as an artist early in her career. Of course Im in full unwavering support of them and their act of courage.. Offset Changes Instagram Avatar to Takeoff Photo After His Death. "Sir, it's Robert and [my niece] on the tape," she said. "I just shied away from the industry. ", Sparkle wasn't the only witness to get emotional on the stand Thursday. But now people are seeing.". 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, she told The New York Times on Tuesday. Kelly would ultimately be acquitted on charges pertaining to the tape. His whole M.O., he stated this to me not long ago, is he likes them when they are ripe and young because he can mold them into what he wants them to be and control their minds and make them do what women 'should' do. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Sparkle claimed that her niece met Kelly when she was 12. And earlier this week, lawyer Michael Avenatti who gave a tape of Kelly and a young girl to the Cook County States Attorney in February said the singer gave the girl in the tape and her family $2 million to remain silent. It's so very sad.". For years, Sparkle has made claims about Kelly allegedly abusing her niece . When I learned that, I would go out of my way to speak to people just to tick him off. I went at it alone. Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering, Report: R. Kellys Former Staffers Gave Feds 20 More Sex Tapes with Minors, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years For Child Sex Crimes, R. Kelly Silenced Aaliyah & Her Family With Non-Disclosure Agreement After 1995 Marriage Annulment, Watch the Trailer For Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter. 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 . It's disgusting. She writes for Thirsty for News, covering world news and entertainment. Several witnesses identified the singer and the girl to authorities afterward, but Kelly was still acquitted of 14 child pornography charges on June 13, 2008. Since the alleged R. Kelly sex tapes first hit the media two months ago, the primary question has been if the girl featured on the 27-minute tape, currently under investigation by the Chicago police, was actually underage, since her identity had been kept hidden. Sparkle has since thanked "Surviving R. Kelly" producer Dream Hampton for once again bringing attention to the alleged crimes. Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head? Profession: Singer. People in Kelly's circle interviewed in "Surviving R. Kelly" claim to have seen the woman on the singer's property multiple times in recent years. 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." "But until our investigation is complete, we can't confirm or deny that [Sparkle is the girl's aunt]. Sparkle's niece who was 14 years old was alleged to be the young girl in the video tape that went viral on the streets before going viral was such a thing. Genson accused Sparkle of being bitter and characterized the end of her working relationship with Kelly as a firing. At the time, Sparkle identified the child in the video as her niece. I know them. But after R. and I parted ways, it was me not watching over her. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. No," she said. TikTok video from Samke Ndlovu INdlovu (@samkeindlovukaz): "#Aunty and Niece Challenge ". In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost her the relationship with her family. Absolutely NOT! In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost. Nope, Sparkle didn't take a payout meanwhile R sending them on trips and paying for their houses. The partnership between the two dissipated over creative differences, leading her to amicably ask for release from the label, according to MTV. As of now, Sparkles niece and her attorney have yet to respond to Sparkles claim she lied on the stand. Apple Music Film, TV & Stage. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Unsurprisingly, that testimony did not sit well with Sparkle, who reacted to her neices claims online after someone asked her, Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head? Recording artist Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards accused R. Kelly of having sex with her 14-year-old niece at his 2008 trial.