As the R Kelly trial continues to drag on, Aaliyah’s name just keeps getting brought up as prosecutors try to get to the bottom of their marriage in 1994. The late R&B singer was married to R Kelly when she was only 15, despite Kelly being 27 at the time. 

R Kelly is currently on trial in Brooklyn for a variety of different charges, ranging from sexual abuse to bribery. The big news from the trial as of now, is that allegedly, R Kelly married Aaliyah so that the underage rising star could get an abortion. 

Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in 2001, had a long standing relation with R Kelly. They met when she was 12 and had collaborated numerous times on her music, with him acting as producer and writer for her. He is credited numerous times throughout her debut LP “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.”

On Monday, Demetrius Smith, Kelly’s former tour manager, testified that he bribed a government employee so that Aaliyah could get a fake ID to marry Kelly. He also stated that he was present at their licensing, and subsequent marriage. 

“I shouldn’t be talking about Aaliyah ‘cause she’s not here,” said Smith on Monday. That was a sentiment echoed by many at the trial, and on Twitter. 

It’s especially jarring seeing her name be brought up under such dire circumstances, as her estate is currently in a legal dispute with Blackground Records, her label, to get her entire discography onto streaming platforms. Last week, on August 20th, after legal battles spanning years, her 1996 album “One In A Million” was finally put onto streaming platforms. 

Sources: NME.COM, PITCHFORK.COM, HUFFPOST.COM, VULTURE.COM