Disgraced R&B star R Kelly has been removed from suicide surveillance at Brooklyn Jail, where he is beginning a 30-year sentence for sex trafficking, U.S. officials said.
The 55-year-old man, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty of trafficking and extortion after a high-profile trial in New York in 2021.
Officials said they had put him on probation for suicide because of the “emotional discomfort” of his current situation.
In a court document, prosecutors said he was removed from his watch after a clinical evaluation.
Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, confirmed that the singer is no longer on suicide surveillance, but said she plans to continue with a lawsuit.
He is suing the Metropolitan Detention Center, saying prison officials ordered the clock immediately after his June 29 conviction “solely for punitive purposes” and because he was a “high-profile” inmate.
She suggested in an email that removal was a tactic to frustrate her lawsuit, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which manages the Brooklyn Prison, has declined to comment.
Known for her 1996 Grammy-winning success I Believe I Can Fly, Kelly was convicted last September.
Prosecutors said Kelly exploited her stardom and wealth for two decades to lure women and girls into her orbit for sex, with the help of her surroundings.
Read more: R Kelly convicted: why did it take 30 years to get justice?
Kelly has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual abuse.
He still faces trial in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction charges, and several state charges in Illinois and Minnesota.