Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly is reaching out to President Donald Trump for clemency after filing an emergency motion alleging prison officials plotted his murder.

According to People, Kelly's attorney Beau B. Brindley confirmed they are actively seeking a presidential pardon or sentence commutation that would allow Kelly to serve his remaining time under home confinement.

"We are in open discussions with people close to President Trump. And those discussions have expanded and intensified since we filed our motion," Brindley told the publication, adding that they believe Trump "is the only person with the courage to help us."

Solitary confinement follows emergency filing

Kelly's request comes after being placed in solitary confinement at Federal Correctional Institute Butner in North Carolina, where he is serving a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking convictions. His attorney claims this isolation is direct retaliation for filing an emergency motion alleging a murder plot against the singer.

"Immediately after our motion became public, Robert was thrown into solitary confinement. He cannot make phone calls to his family. He has no access to commissary," Brindley explained. The attorney further described deteriorating conditions, stating that Kelly has "spiders crawling over him while he tries to sleep" and fears eating prison-prepared food.

Kelly reportedly doesn't have a personal relationship with President Trump, though Brindley noted the singer was a longtime resident of Trump Tower in Chicago. The emergency motion that sparked Kelly's current predicament includes a declaration from an inmate named Mikeal Glenn Stine.

Inmate's shocking murder plot allegations

Stine, who claims to be a former high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood, alleged in his declaration that three Bureau of Prisons officials approached him with a plan to kill Kelly. According to the filing, these officials orchestrated Stine's transfer from Arizona to North Carolina to place him in proximity to the singer.

The inmate claims he was promised a chance to escape custody and live his final months as a "free man" in exchange for carrying out or arranging Kelly's murder. Stine, who says he has terminal cancer, allegedly had a change of heart and warned Kelly about the plot instead.

Bureau of Prisons records do confirm Stine's transfer from Arizona to North Carolina, though the agency declined to comment on the allegations. The White House has similarly not provided any statement regarding Kelly's pardon request.

Trump's openness to high-profile clemency

Kelly's legal team may see an opening following President Trump's recent comments about another high-profile defendant facing similar charges. Last month during an Oval Office press briefing, Trump indicated he would consider pardoning Sean "Diddy" Combs.

"I would certainly look at the facts," the president told reporters during that briefing. "If I think someone was mistreated it wouldn't matter whether they like me or don't."

Brindley emphasized that Kelly's life remains in danger while in federal custody, citing past attacks against his client. The attorney argues that keeping Kelly imprisoned under these circumstances constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."

Why this story matters

R. Kelly’s plea brings issues of prison safety, justice oversight, and celebrity legal fate into the public spotlight. These allegations speak to broader risks of abuse inside federal institutions and the challenges attorneys face in protecting at-risk clients. If substantiated, the claims could reveal potential criminal conduct at the highest levels within the Bureau of Prisons.

Conclusion

R. Kelly, currently serving a 30-year sentence on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, has filed an emergency motion claiming that federal prison officials orchestrated a plot to have him killed. Citing the testimony of a fellow inmate once tied to the Aryan Brotherhood, Kelly’s attorneys allege government involvement in an attempted murder scheme.

In response, Kelly has been placed in solitary confinement with limited access to outside contact and basic supplies, prompting him to request a pardon from former President Donald Trump. With no comment from the Bureau of Prisons or the White House, Kelly’s legal team continues to pursue clemency through political avenues while warning of the danger their client faces in custody.