The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that Heather Williams, a victim of R. Kelly’s sexual assault, will receive $4 million from the singer’s Sony Music royalty account.
Williams filed a civil suit against Kelly in 2019, alleging that the singer coerced her into a sexual relationship when she was 16 years old.
The court awarded Williams priority access to Kelly’s Sony Music royalty account, placing her ahead of Midwest Commercial Funding, a property manager that won a separate $3.5 million ruling against Kelly for unpaid rent.
In June 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for federal sex trafficking charges.
Later that fall, he was found guilty on six counts of federal child pornography charges.
Federal child pornography charges carry an average sentence of 23 years in prison, according to the United States Sentencing Commission.
Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, claimed that much of the civil proceedings occurred without Kelly’s knowledge, as he was incarcerated and facing multiple criminal indictments.
