A jury found R. Kelly guilty of all counts in a federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial earlier this week, resulting in the singer now facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years (and up to life) in prison. Following news of the verdict, TMZ shared a short video featuring Bill Cosby spokesperson Andrew Wyatt.
In the clip, Wyatt was asked what Cosby—who’s banned from performing at one of New York’s most popular venues—“personally thought” of the latest Kelly developments.
“We talked about it today and the first thing he said, he was like, ‘Look, the guy was railroaded,’” Wyatt said.
Earlier this year, Cosby’s sexual assault conviction was overturned in a ruling that resulted in the disgraced comedian being released from prison. While misinformation on the ruling quickly became rampant, this explainer does a fine job of breaking down not only how rare such a change is, but also how it was facilitated by a prior non-prosecution agreement.
Given the nature of Kelly’s conviction, not to mention the nature of the allegations against Cosby, criticism was swift in response to the Cosby Show star being given a platform to share his take on the verdict. Others kept the criticism aimed at Cosby himself, whose prison release was slammed over the summer by a group of accusers during an NBC News special.
When announcing Kelly’s verdict on Monday, Jacquelyn M. Kasulis—Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York—said it “forever brands” the singer as a predator who used his fame and wealth to “prey on the young.” Addressing Kelly’s victims, Kasulis said their voices had “finally been heard.”
Among the acts for which Kelly was found guilty were illegal sex with minors, sexual exploitation of minors, bribery, coercion, and forced labor.
Below, see what people have said in response to Cosby’s indirectly shared “railroaded” remark.
