R. Kelly’s Road Manager Knew About Aaliyah Relationship But Kept Quiet: I Just Wanted To Stay In The Loop

R. Kelly’s Road Manager Knew About Aaliyah Relationship But Kept Quiet: I Just Wanted To Stay In The Loop

R. Kelly’s first week of his sex crimes trial came to an end on Friday (August 20th). The trial revealed that former road manager, Demetrius Smith was more worried about his connection to singer-songwriter R.Kelly than he was about the wellbeing of a then-teenaged Aaliyah. 

A testimony from Demetrius Smith revealed that although he thought the sexual relationship R.Kelly had with Aaliyah was wrong, he felt that if he opposed their relationship he’d be kicked out of Kelly’s circle. He said,

“I just wanted to stay in the loop.”

He worked for Kelly from 1986-1994 and said his objective was to make Kelly “comfortable.” 

 “I just wanted to be someone he could look up to.” 

Among the various sex crimes Kelly has been accused of, a marriage to a then 15-year-old Aaliyah (while Kelly himself was 27-years-old) was spoken about in court last Friday (August 20th). Demetrius Smith played an important role in getting the two wed. He recounted the series of events that lead to the two getting married.

Even though Smith was reluctant to testify, he told the judge that in 1994 Kelly let him know that Aaliyah was pregnant.

“She thinks she’s pregnant,” Smith recounts Kelly saying. Smith then said just because Aaliyah said she was pregnant “doesn’t mean she’s pregnant.”

He said Kelly brought up marrying Aaliyah because some of his inner circle believed that if they were married Aaliyah couldn’t testify against him. Smith then said,

“I told him that he couldn’t marry Aaliyah, that she was too young.”

Smith also said in court that Kelly questioned his loyalty.

“He was confused. He said, ‘which side was I on?’”

Smith eventually was the one who found a way to get the two married in Chicago by getting Aaliyah a fake ID. He went to a welfare office and exchanged money for a fake ID card.

Next, he had to find a clerk that would marry the 27-year-old, Kelly, to 15-year-old Aaliyah. Smith said,

“I made her an offer, she took the money; I gave her 500 bucks.” 

During his testimony, Smith expressed his discomfort on talking about Aaliyah by saying,

“I’m uncomfortable talking constantly about Aaliyah. Her parents aren’t here, and I don’t want to understand why I gotta do that.”

What do you think about Smith’s involvement in the R.Kelly trial? Let us know in the comments. 

[VIA]