A federal judge has ordered a start date in the trial of singer R. Kelly, according to information provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In a schedule set down by U.S. District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly, jury questionnaires will be distributed between March 15 and March 25, 2021, jury selection begins April 6 and the trial kicks off on April 7.

Kelly is facing charges in New York of racketeering, coercion of a minor, transportation of a minor and coercion to engage in illegal sexual activity relating to six different victims. The indictment alleges that for over two decades, R. Kelly was the leader of a racketeering enterprise made up of managers, bodyguards, drivers, personal assistants and runners who recruited women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with the singer. The sexual activity was often filmed and photographed by Kelly, according to the court filing by the Department of Justice. He is also awaiting trial in Illinois regarding separate sexual abuse allegations and is currently being held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.

Kelly has been incarcerated since July 2019 after being arrested in Chicago while walking his dog named Believe by Homeland Security officers and members of the New York police department. He has made repeated requests to be released on his own recognizance pending trial, but his requests have been repeatedly denied.

In October, Donnelly also granted the prosecution’s request for Kelly’s case to be heard by an unnamed/anonymous jury that would be partially sequestered for the duration of the trial. The government requested that “the identities of all prospective jurors, including their names, addresses and places of employment, not be revealed to either party or their attorneys,” and that “from the time each juror is empaneled until the conclusion of the trial, the jurors eat lunch together and be accompanied in and out of the courthouse by members of the United States Marshals Service each day,” according to court records. Prosecutors argued that these precautions were necessary because of the trial’s expected media attention and because of Kelly’s “incentive and means” to interfere with the jury.

“He is charged with leading a criminal enterprise that paid out large sums over the past two decades to bribe witnesses and cover up his misconduct, and he faces a significant prison term if convicted,” wrote Donnelly in her order granting the request by the prosecution.

Kelly’s attorney Michael I. Leonard tells Billboard that extra jury precautions are “bizarre” and “inappropriate,” as anonymous juries are typically reserved for dangerous defendants such as a “Mafia kingpin or drug cartel leaders” where there is a realistic and legitimate reason to fear for someone’s safety.” He claims this kind of protective measure does not fit the facts of Kelly’s case and hinders his ability to prepare for a fair trial.

He also says that Kelly’s isolating incarceration, with constant lockdowns in prison due to COVID-19, has affected his client mentally.

“In terms of his mental well-being, I think he’s suffering under these COVID conditions because they had an enormous outbreak previously,” Leonard says. “It’s not a good environment to be in.”

Despite all that, Leonard says his client is looking forward to having his day in court.

“It’s been long and onerous, but on the other hand I think he is eager to get to trial,” says Leonard.

Shawn Mendes spent the majority of 2019 on his 109-show, world arena tour. The nine-month trek, which grossed $96.7 million and sold 1.3 million tickets, was his biggest yet.

But a tour of that magnitude came with its fair share of highs, lows, mental pressure and physical demands. Netflix’s upcoming documentary, In Wonder, follows the 22-year-old superstar’s journey to self-discovery over the past year, and how he channeled it all into a creative new album.

To capture his story, Mendes enlisted director Grant Singer, who is best known for his work on high-profile music videos such as The Weeknd’s “The Hills,” Lorde’s “Green Light,” Zayn and Taylor Swift’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” Troye Sivan’s “My My My” and countless more. “It’s interesting because I come from a world of music video directing where the role of a director is very visible and my imprint aesthetically is large, conceptually and in terms of my role on set,” he explained of filming In Wonder. “Whereas, when you’re making a documentary, the intent is the inverse, to be invisible and just let the moments unfold and witness them without having a hand guide them.

“It was a learning experience for me to really disappear when I was present to make him comfortable so he can live his life without feeling like we were filming,” he added.

The director certainly accomplished that sense of authenticity. In Wonder covers massive musical milestones like Mendes’ sold-out show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto and his sultry “Señorita” duet with girlfriend Camila Cabello at the 2019 VMAs — weaving in how the pop star felt at every turn and his more vulnerable, human moments.

In one of Singer’s standout scenes, Mendes is forced to cancel his Nov. 30 show in São Paulo, Brazil after struggling with a vocal strain. “I felt like I was witnessing something very intense unfold in real time,” he said of the devastating moment. “That is a powerful thing to witness and document, and I felt privileged to be able to be there for that.”

“We build up pop stars to be super human beings, but one of the things this film does is—they’re just like us,” he continued. “They have fears, insecurities, desires as we all do. This film focuses more on Shawn as a person and less on Shawn as the mythology of him as an artist, and I think that’s what I like about it.”

Singer feels that the “In My Blood” star is very much in “the first chapter” of his career, and therefore, spotlighting his journey is more important now than ever. “What you really want to capture is something real, an honest moment,” he shared. “I really wanted to strip things away, where we really get to the heart of who Shawn is and what he’s about and his passion and his character.

“Even if you’re a massive fan of someone, there’s only so much content you have and it’s through a certain lens, through the albums themselves, interviews, press things, photos,” Singer concluded of what he hopes viewers will take away from the documentary. “But I hope this film gives fans access to a very intimate, off-the-cuff way to see him for who he is and who the real Shawn Mendes is in a way that gives them a terrific, expansive scope.”

In Wonder is available to stream on Nov. 23 on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.

 

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