Dubai’s Government Says There Were Never Any Plans for R. Kelly to Perform

R. Kelly was forced to hand over his passport in February when he was charged with 10 counts of felony criminal sexual abuse against four women, three of whom were minors. On Wednesday (Mar. 20), it was reported that the disgraced Chicago singer was seeking permission to fly to Dubai for a series of concerts. In a rare statement, Associated Press reports that Dubai’s government says there was never any plans for a series of R. Kelly concerts.

“Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R. Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked,” Dubai’s government said in a statement. His lawyer reportedly also said that Kelly was scheduled to meet with the Dubai royal family, although they have denied the claims, stating that he “has not been invited by the Dubai royal family for a performance.”

The motion he and lawyer Steve Greenberg filed this past week stated that Kelly had “signed a contract to perform between 3-5 shows in Dubai, UAE, in April 2019.” The filing did not include details on what venues Kelly was supposed to perform at. This statement from Dubai will likely have a very negative impact on his request to travel.

“Mr. Kelly had a signed contract with a legitimate promoter, and any information that was included in the motion to travel was from that contract,” Greenberg told AP in response to Dubai’s government’s statement. “We did not say he was invited by the royal family, but the contract did provide that he would make himself available to meet with them.”