R. Kelly placed on suicide watch after being sentenced to 30 years in prison, his lawyer says
R. Kelly has been placed on suicide watch at the federal detention facility in New York where he is being held after he was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison on racketeering and sex trafficking charges, his lawyer said Friday.
But the disgraced R&B singer is not suicidal, attorney Jennifer Bonjean told CNN she believes, adding Kelly had been fearful of being put on suicide watch.
"The irony of putting someone on suicide watch when they're not suicidal is it actually causes more harm," Bonjean said.
Kelly, 55, was placed on suicide watch because he is well known, Bonjean said she was told by prosecutors who spoke with prison officials. CNN has reached out to prosecutors and the Bureau of Prisons for confirmation.
"It's punishment for being high-profile. And it's horrifying frankly," she said. "To put someone under suicide watch under those conditions is cruel and unusual when they don't need it."
Bonjean had asked Kelly to email her after he was taken back into the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his sentencing Wednesday but never got an email from him, she said. She hasn't gotten answers about his status from the detention center until prosecutors requested information from the facility, Bonjean added.
A jury convicted Kelly last September on nine counts, including one charge of racketeering and eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law. Prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York accused Kelly of using his status as a celebrity and a "network of people at his disposal to target girls, boys and young women for his own sexual gratification."
The five-week federal trial in Brooklyn included testimony from witnesses who said they were sexually and physically abused by Kelly. The court also heard from people involved with orchestrating the disgraced R&B singer's 1994 marriage to the late singer Aaliyah when she was just 15 years old and he was an adult after she believed she'd gotten pregnant.
Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Kelly to more than 25 years behind bars, while his defense attorneys asked for 10 or fewer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
COVID-19 hospitalizations due to Omicron are vastly underreported: grassroots organization
Analysis by a grassroots organization of scientists reveals hospitalizations from the Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 could be 70 per cent higher than what has been reported since December.
As home prices drop, here's what you can get in Canada's most affordable markets
CTVNews.ca has compiled a list of homes in some of the most affordable regions across Canada, as many real estate markets see drops in average prices.
Proportion of French speakers declines nearly everywhere in Canada, including Quebec
The proportion of Canadians who mainly speak French at home continues to decline in nearly all provinces and territories, including Quebec, the latest census release shows.
BREAKING
BREAKING | Eastern Ontario doctor facing 3 new murder charges
An eastern Ontario doctor who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of a patient is facing three new murder charges, Ontario Provincial Police have announced.
Ontario mayor fires back at conspiracy theorists who tried to arrest police officers
An Ontario mayor had some harsh words for protesters who attempted to place local police officers under arrest Saturday.
The return of Zellers: Hudson's Bay to resurrect Canadian discount retail chain
Canadian department store Zellers hopes to make a comeback next year, a decade after the discount chain shuttered most of its locations., brand owner Hudson's Bay Co. said Wednesday.
Feds announce four new passport service sites as backlog continues
The federal government is adding new passport service locations across Canada as a backlog in processing applications continues.
Warnings issued for B.C.'s South Coast amid brief heat wave
Much of the B.C.’s South Coast is under a heat warning with temperatures expected to soar.
Intelligence memo flagged possible 'violent revenge' after Ottawa protest shutdown
Newly disclosed documents show federal intelligence officials warned decision-makers that the police dispersal of 'Freedom Convoy' protesters in Ottawa last winter could prompt an 'opportunistic attack' against a politician or symbol of government.
Canada
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Eastern Ontario doctor facing 3 new murder charges
An eastern Ontario doctor who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of a patient is facing three new murder charges, Ontario Provincial Police have announced.
-
Ontario mayor fires back at conspiracy theorists who tried to arrest police officers
An Ontario mayor had some harsh words for protesters who attempted to place local police officers under arrest Saturday.
-
Census data shows linguistic diversity on the rise in Canada
A growing number of new immigrants to Canada are bringing with them increasingly diverse languages, setting a record for the number of Canadians whose mother tongue is neither English nor French, new 2021 census data reveals.
-
Ontario extending $10/day child-care opt-in deadline to get more operators to apply
Ontario is extending the deadline for child-care operators to apply for the $10-a-day program and standardizing the process in an attempt to get more providers to sign up.
-
N.W.T. child-care providers 'trying to be optimistic' about $10-a-day deal
Early learning and child-care providers in the Northwest Territories say they are hopeful more support is coming following a rocky initial rollout of federal funding in the territory.
-
Warnings issued for B.C.'s South Coast amid brief heat wave
Much of the B.C.’s South Coast is under a heat warning with temperatures expected to soar.
World
-
Blasts in Crimea underscore Russian forces' vulnerability
A spate of explosions and fires has turned Russian-occupied Crimea from a secure rear base into a new battleground in the war, demonstrating both the Russians' vulnerability and the Ukrainians' capacity to strike deep behind enemy lines.
-
Murkowski advances in Alaska U.S. Senate race, Palin in House
Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski advanced from her primary along with Kelly Tshibaka, her GOP rival endorsed by former President Donald Trump, while another Trump-backed candidate, Republican Sarah Palin, was among the candidates bound for the November general election in the race for Alaska's only House seat.
-
NATO says it is ready to step up forces if Serbia-Kosovo tensions escalate
NATO will increase its peacekeeping force in Kosovo if there is an escalation of tensions with neighbouring Serbia, the alliance's chief said on Wednesday, on the eve of EU-facilitated talks between the estranged western Balkan neighbours.
-
Pence tells GOP to stop lashing out at FBI over Trump search
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday urged fellow Republicans to stop lashing out at the FBI over the search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home last week.
-
Trump supporters' threats to judge spur democracy concerns
Hundreds of federal judges face the same task every day: review an affidavit submitted by federal agents and approve requests for a search warrant. But for U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the fallout from his decision to approve a search warrant has been far from routine.
-
Bombing at Kabul mosque kills 10, including prominent cleric
A bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during evening prayers on Wednesday killed at least 10 people, including a prominent cleric, an eyewitness and police said.
Politics
-
Intelligence memo flagged possible 'violent revenge' after Ottawa protest shutdown
Newly disclosed documents show federal intelligence officials warned decision-makers that the police dispersal of 'Freedom Convoy' protesters in Ottawa last winter could prompt an 'opportunistic attack' against a politician or symbol of government.
-
Lead investigator in N.S. mass shooting says he stands by political interference accusations
The senior Mountie who made allegations of political meddling in the investigation into the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting defended his position to members of parliament Tuesday.
-
Feds announce four new passport service sites as backlog continues
The federal government is adding new passport service locations across Canada as a backlog in processing applications continues.
Health
-
First possible case of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission 'not surprising,' WHO says
The first possible case of human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox -- recently reported in a couple and their pet in Paris -- had been a theoretical risk up till now, said Dr. Rosamund Lewis, technical lead on the monkeypox response for the World Health Organization.
-
COVID-19 hospitalizations due to Omicron are vastly underreported: grassroots organization
Analysis by a grassroots organization of scientists reveals hospitalizations from the Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 could be 70 per cent higher than what has been reported since December.
-
New York City reports 2 human cases of the West Nile virus as the city sees record number of infected mosquitoes
Two human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in New York as the virus has been detected in a record number of mosquitoes in the city, health officials said Tuesday.
Sci-Tech
-
NASA's moon rocket moved to launch pad for 1st test flight
NASA's new moon rocket arrived at the launch pad Wednesday ahead of its debut flight in less than two weeks.
-
Scientists plan the resurrection of an animal that's been extinct since 1936
Almost 100 years after its extinction, the Tasmanian tiger may live once again. Scientists want to resurrect the striped carnivorous marsupial, officially known as a thylacine, which used to roam the Australian bush.
-
Snoopy, mannequins and Apollo 11 items will swing by the moon aboard Artemis I
While no human crew will travel aboard NASA's Artemis I mission, that doesn't mean the Orion spacecraft will be empty. When the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, scheduled for liftoff on August 29, set off on a trip beyond the moon, the spacecraft will be carrying some special items on board including three mannequins, toys and even an Amazon Alexa.
Entertainment
-
Prosecutor: R. Kelly trial about singer's 'hidden' side
R. Kelly's federal trial on allegations that he rigged his 2008 state child pornography trial and enticed girls for sex is about the R&B singer's 'dark' and 'hidden' side, a prosecutor told jurors Wednesday, while Kelly's attorney said not to accept the portrayal of her client as 'a monster.'
-
Wolfgang Petersen, blockbuster filmmaker of 'Das Boot,' dies
Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker whose World War II submarine epic 'Das Boot' propelled him into a blockbuster Hollywood career that included the films 'In the Line of Fire,' 'Air Force One' and 'The Perfect Storm,' has died. He was 81.
-
Olivia Rodrigo to induct Alanis Morissette into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo will usher Alanis Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame next month.
Business
-
The return of Zellers: Hudson's Bay to resurrect Canadian discount retail chain
Canadian department store Zellers hopes to make a comeback next year, a decade after the discount chain shuttered most of its locations., brand owner Hudson's Bay Co. said Wednesday.
-
U.K. inflation reaches 10.1 per cent on soaring food, energy costs
Britain's inflation rate rose to a new 40-year high of 10.1 per cent in July, a faster pace than in the U.S. and Europe as climbing food prices in the United Kingdom tightened a cost-of-living squeeze fuelled by the soaring cost of energy.
-
Elon Musk jokingly says he is buying Manchester United
Having seen eight coaches come and go in less than 10 years, Manchester United fans know their false dawns. Wednesday shed a different light on strife at the giant football club: Elon Musk said he was buying it -- and then said it was all a joke.
Lifestyle
-
TikToker puts restaurants, bars to the test over wheelchair accessibility
A Toronto-based disability advocate is using the power of TikTok to raise awareness over the lack of wheelchair accessibility at many restaurants and bars.
-
Norway group wants to erect statue of euthanized walrus
A private fundraising campaign is underway in Norway to erect a statue of a walrus that drew crowds of spectators but was euthanized Sunday after authorities concluded the massive marine mammal posed a risk to humans.
-
Snoop Dogg's Snoop Loopz is entering the cereal game
Snoop Loopz is a brand new cereal from Snoop Dogg's Broadus Foods line that he co-founded with fellow rapper Percy 'Master P' Miller.
Sports
-
Majority of Canadians say sexual misconduct is a big issue in youth hockey: survey
Amid allegations of sexual assaults involving members of past Canadian men’s world junior hockey teams, Canadians say sexual misconduct remains a concerning issue within the sport’s culture.
-
'Really demanding': Vancouver Island teen training to become Formula One racer
She may only have her learner’s licence, but that hasn’t held a 16-year-old Comox Valley, B.C., teen back from working towards her goal of being a professional driver. Nicole Haverda got the green light on her desire to be a professional race car driver four years ago when her father took her to a Formula One race in Europe.
-
'General culture of silence': Canadian researcher says NHL not doing enough to support player health
A Canadian researcher with a brother working for the NHL says there's a reason professional hockey players don't seek mental health help when they need it.
Autos
-
'Really demanding': Vancouver Island teen training to become Formula One racer
She may only have her learner’s licence, but that hasn’t held a 16-year-old Comox Valley, B.C., teen back from working towards her goal of being a professional driver. Nicole Haverda got the green light on her desire to be a professional race car driver four years ago when her father took her to a Formula One race in Europe.
-
GM recalls 484K big SUVs in U.S. to fix problem third-row seat belts
General Motors is recalling more than 484,000 large SUVs in the U.S. to fix a problem that can cause the third-row seat belts to malfunction.
-
You can buy a Dodge Challenger convertible as the model ends its run
The modern Dodge Challenger muscle car and the closely related Dodge Charger four-door sedan are ending their long production runs next year.
