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R. Kelly Victim Gets Priority Access To His Sony Music Royalty Fund

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2 months ago

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R. Kelly arrives at the Leighton Courthouse for his status hearing in relation to the sex abuse allegations made against him on May 7, 2019 in Chicago. Nuccio DiNuzzo/GI

An R. Kelly victim who won a $4 million judgment against the singer will get first crack at pulling money from the singer’s royalty account with Sony Music — after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that her claims should take priority over a Chicago landlord that’s also owed millions.

In a decision on Thursday (March 23), the state high court said Heather Williams was entitled to tap into Kelly’s account with Sony — valued at $1.5 million in 2020 — before Midwest Commercial Funding, a property manager that won its own separate $3.5 million ruling against Kelly over unpaid rent at a Chicago studio.

Williams filed a civil lawsuit against Kelly in 2019, alleging that when she was 16 years old, the singer lured her into his studio with promises that she could be in a music video and then repeatedly had sex with her as a minor. In 2020, she won a judgment of $4 million against Kelly on those accusations.

Thursday’s decision upheld a lower court’s earlier ruling that Williams — and not Midwest Commercial — should be given priority access to the royalties because she was the first to properly demand the money from Sony. That earlier ruling had ordered Sony to hand over to Williams “any funds currently in Kelly’s royalty account,” and to keep giving her his royalties until the judgment was paid off.

Disbursement of Kelly’s funds held by Sony has been paused while litigation has played out; it’s unclear how much money is now in the account. The company is not named in any lawsuits and is not accused of any wrongdoing. A rep for Sony declined to comment on the ruling or on the status of Kelly’s royalties.

Following Thursday’s ruling, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, tells Billboardthat she’s currently seeking to overturn the underlying $4 million judgment. She says the award to Williams — a so-called default judgment, meaning it was issued after Kelly failed to respond — “never should have been entered.”

“I’ve never in my career seen such a flouting of the rules to deny him even the opportunity to defend these civil cases, even when the courts were fully aware that Kelly was incarcerated, unrepresented at points, and facing multiple criminal indictments,” Bonjean says. “Indeed, much of these civil proceedings occurred without Kelly’s knowledge.”

But the $4 million judgment was already upheld once by an appeals court, and Bonjean said she faces an “uphill battle” to overturn the judgment because of the actions of Kelly’s prior lawyers.

An attorney for Williams declined to comment on the litigation. An attorney for Midwest Commercial Funding did not return a request for comment.

Though Thursday’s decision gave priority to Williams over Midwest Commercial Funding, it’s unclear whether she’ll enjoy similar priority over a slew of additional monetary penalties that Kelly owes to victims as a result of his federal criminal convictions.

After he was sentenced last summer to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and racketeering in New York, Kelly was ordered to pay more than $480,000 in fines and restitution; after he was sentenced in February on child pornography charges in Illinois, another $42,000 was tacked on. Last fall, prosecutors confiscated nearly $30,000in Kelly’s prison account in an effort to start paying those penalties.

A representative for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York declined to comment on the impact of Thursday’s ruling or the status of federal restitution efforts against Kelly. A rep for the Us Attorney’s Office in Illinois did not immediately return a request for comment.

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New Report Says Jamie Foxx Is Learning To Walk Again Amid Mystery Health Issue. His Daughter Says He Was Playing Pickleball

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21 hours ago

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June 7, 2023

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It’s been nearly two months since Jamie Foxx’s family revealed that the Oscar-winning actor had been hospitalized due to a “medical complication” suffered on the set of his upcoming Netflix movie Back in Action, co-starring Cameron Diaz. Providing the most recent update on his health, his eldest daughter Corinne Foxx, had taken to social media to address the situation, saying her father was doing well and even engaging in activities like playing pickleball. Although in a new exclusive report, an insider claims the actor is currently undergoing intense physiotherapy to aid his recovery and regain his mobility.

While the true extent of the Soul star’s health condition remains shrouded in mystery, allegedly the 55-year-old actor has been facing mobility struggles since the incident on April 11 while filming in Atlanta. An insider told RadarOnline that Jamie is receiving treatment at one of the top physical rehabilitation centers specializing in stroke, brain, and spinal cord injuries. The insider told the publication:

“Jamie is receiving treatment at one of the top physical rehabilitation centers in the country. The clinic specializes in physical therapy programs to treat injuries or a physical condition that limits or prohibits the ability to walk or walk correctly. They teach people how to walk again at this particular clinic”.

In a post shared on Instagram in May, Corinne addressed the media coverage surrounding her father’s condition. She had shared a post from RapTV, which has since been deleted, claiming that the actor’s loved ones were “preparing for the worst.” However, she said these claims were erroneous and clarified that her dad had been out of the hospital for “weeks” and was recuperating. Now the unnamed source told RadarOnline that the actor’s condition is a bit more serious, continuing:

“Jamie would not be at this clinic if he was not impaired in some way as a result of whatever happened to him. But fans should rest assured: Jamie is in the best of care at this type of clinic”.

Foxx and his family have chosen to remain relatively silent about the nature of his recent health complications while appreciating the outpouring of love and support from fans and friends. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actor briefly addressed the situation on social media on May 3, expressing his gratitude for the love he received.

Following the Django Unchained performer’s hospitalization, reports revealed that two of his ongoing projects, namely Back In Action and Beat Shazam, have resumed production in his absence. Back In Action is an action comedy for Netflix, while Beat Shazam is a game show where the Collateral star serves as the host alongside his daughter, Corinne Foxx, who acts as the show’s DJ. With Jamie’s blessing, Nick Cannon has taken over hosting duties for the game show.

We will likely hear from Jamie Foxx soon, with numerous exciting flicks set to hit the 2023 movie release schedule. Among his many upcoming projects, the Ray star is set to star in various action films, including God Is A Bullet alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe, as well as Tin Soldier featuring Robert De Niro and Scott Eastwood, both slated for release this summer. Furthermore, he will be seen in the Netflix comedy They Cloned Tyrone alongside John Boyega, and he has also lent his voice to the R-rated talking-dog comedy Strays.

Jamie Foxx’s return to the screen is highly anticipated. Whether he’s enjoying a game of pickleball or continuing his rehabilitation, we hope the actor continues to prioritize his recovery. Given his ability to captivate viewers with his talent, and versatility, a successful recovery will assure audiences they can look forward to experiencing his exceptional performances for many years to come. Having so many upcoming 2023 roles, it’s great news to hear his recovery is in good hands following his recent health scare.

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Jamie Foxx will address fans ‘when he’s ready’ following mystery illness, Nick Cannon says

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3 days ago

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June 5, 2023

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Cannon took over for Foxx as a guest host of the musical game show "Beat Shazam" after the 55-year-old was hospitalized in April. (Getty)

Nick Cannon said he believes Jamie Foxx will update fans on the health scare that sent him to the hospital in April “when he’s ready.”

“One thing I’ve always respected about how Jamie’s moved throughout his entire career, if you’ve noticed, he’s always been somebody who is extremely professional and extremely private,” Cannon told “Extra’s” Billy Bush.

“I mean, you don’t ever really hear anything other than just the great work that he puts forth as a professional and the fact that, you know, he’s handled this situation with the same manner, you only can respect that,” said Cannon.

He went on to add, “I believe when he’s ready, he’s going to address the awaiting fans in the world [about his health scare] the way that only he can.”

During the interview, Bush asked Cannon about reports that Foxx suffered a stroke and if he could give an update on his condition. Foxx’s family has not disclosed his medical condition.

“I’m probably in the same boat as you in that same sense of just knowing that, you know, as a friend, just being as respectful as I can, I don’t pry,” Cannon answered. “I don’t ask any other questions. And other than the information that’s given to me and, you know, what’s asked of me.”

He said the information that his family has put out “is the information that they want to be out there.”

“I was definitely one of those people initially with like the heavy-handed prayers… sending positive energy, love, and prayers,” he added. “And they were like, ‘Yo, we appreciate all of that, but we got it.’ And, you know, Jamie’s happy with the job that I did on ‘Beat Shazam.’”

Cannon took over for Foxx as guest host of the musical game show “Beat Shazam” after the 55-year-old was hospitalized in April. Kelly Osbourne took over as deejay for Foxx’s daughter Corinne.

Foxx broke his silence at the end of April, writing on Instagram, “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed.”

In mid-May, his daughter Corinne Foxx gave an update on Foxx’s condition, writing on her Instagram story at the time that her father has been “out of the hospital for weeks” and is “recuperating” – and even playing pickleball.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Corinne shared on April 12 that her father experienced a “medical complication” the day before, and “quick action and great care” helped guide him toward recovery last month.

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Nick Cannon urges for patience from fans over Jamie Foxx’s health condition report

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4 days ago

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June 4, 2023

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Amongst the many friends Jamie Foxx has in the entertainment industry, Nick Cannon is one of his closest ones. During this difficult health scare situation the actor has gone through, Cannon has made a public statement during an interview with the folks from Extra TV. He wanted to send a calming message to all fans who want to know what exactly happened to Jamie. Many different versions of what happened have emerged, some of them are quite conspiratorial, to say the least. But dropping information or statements from any source is hardly responsible, especially if these people who make such statements have an agenda.

Last Thursday, sme news of Jamie Foxx going blind due to taking the COVID-19 vaccine started circulating online but it came from a known anti-vaxxer. Until we get information from Jamie Foxx himself, there is no reason to post misleading information that will only get people even more worried than they already are. Nick Cannon wanted to send these people who worry a message and also to those who try to push their narrative by using this unfortunate event. As we expected, Cannon asked for patience and for better judgement when we are trying to find out what happened to Jamie. This is great advice from someone who actually has contact with the actor and his family.

Nick Cannon’s statement on Jamie Foxx’s health

Cannon said: “One thing I’ve always respected about how Jamie’s moved throughout his entire career, if you’ve noticed, he’s always been somebody who is extremely professional and extremely private. I mean, you don’t ever really hear anything other than just the great work that he puts forth as a professional and the fact that, you know, he’s handled this situation with the same manner, you only can respect that.

“I believe when he’s ready, he’s going to address the awaiting fans in the world [about his health scare] the way that only he can. I’m probably in the same boat as you in that same sense of just knowing that, you know, as a friend, just being as respectful as I can, I don’t pry. I don’t ask any other questions. And other than the information that’s given to me and, you know, what’s asked of me.“

 

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