Sparkle: Directed by Salim Akil. Singer who came to prominence in the late 90s through her collaborations with R. Kelly. Stephanie Edwards, a singer known as Sparkle, testified at R. Kelly's 2008 trial. At times sniffling and dabbing her eyes and her nose with a tissue, Sparkle appeared to be on the verge of tears but remained composed, although she also became defiant when Genson had his turn and accused the R&B singer of trying to take revenge against Kelly for terminating her record-label contract. Though she hadn't witnessed anything between Kelly and her niece that could be considered inappropriate, Sparkle said she saw hints of things that she didn't want to acknowledge at the time, "little hints of something, little touches," that in hindsight concerned her. If you are in your 40s you have seen the video (whether you want to admit it or not). Cardi B and Offset Meal Boycotted By Several McDonalds Franchise Owners, Gary Owens Estranged Wife Clowns His New Boo On The Gram, Da Brat Reveals Shes Pregnant at 48, Expecting Baby With Wife Jesseca Judy Dupart, R. Kelly Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sex Crimes in Illinois. No," she said. I also did not want that person to be me, Jane testified. Sparkle, the aunt of an R Kelly victim, is claiming her niece is lying on the stand as she testifies about her experience with the singer as a 14-year-old. Kelly is on trial in Chicago for child pornography and charges that he rigged his 2008 trial to secure his freedom by intimidating the witnesses and using money to make the victim disappear. Sparkle explained that this is a result of a "family feud," which has led to her being a target of lies from her niece, who Sparkle feels lied about her on the stand out of loyalty to her mother. Three sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever. At the time, Sparkle was largely ignored by the media. "Like she's a prostitute!" In the indictment, Kelly gave the girl and her family gifts, money before and after the trial in exchange for her lying to investigators, being unavailable for interviews and refusing to testify against him. The girl I knew was always bubbly, but she seems like a robot in that video. She writes for Thirsty for News, covering world news and entertainment. Jurors and observers heard the gory details from the 14-year-old, who disclosed that the singer began grooming the 14-year-old victim and began having sex with her at just 15 years old when Kelly was around 30 years old. One of the disgraced singer's former artists has stepped forward to defend herself in the ongoing R. Kelly trial. Bossip Video Sparkle, the aunt of an R Kelly victim, is claiming her niece is lying on the stand as she testifies about her experience with the singer as a 14-year-old. Meanwhile, Sparkle, real name Stephanie Edwards, has come out in her own defence and claims that her niece has lied on the stand as she did not push her to be involved with Kelly. We were a gospel group just years prior so me thinking about them for them was partly programmed in meagain, Because Robert was given the opportunity to have his own imprint, record label, I introduced my sister, my brother-in-law and my niece to Robert at CRC studios in 1997 in hopes of landing my niece a career in this industry, not a concert as she testified, Sparkle said. He did say, however, that not all the evidence had been revealed (see [article id="1453299"]"R. Kelly Settles Civil Suit, Defends Himself On Radio"[/article]). Trust me. But in 2001, when she actually witnessed the tape herself, she didn't hesitate to call. MadameNoire is a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, Modern Movie Musical Essentials. Blog. 2 on the R&B charts and was certified gold soon after . Sparkle, who had a hit with Kelly in 1998 called "Be Careful," told radio DJ Adimu of the Beat (KKBT) on April 3 that her niece was a fledging rapper whom she introduced to Kelly. Jane, one of multiple alleged victims set to take the stand, revealed under oath that she was the teenager with Kelly in the explicit video recording that resulted in his arrest and child pornography trial in 2008. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Kids edition - Orlando And Sparkle. Sparkle, who is reportedly the aunt of the 14-year-old who testified that she was introduced to R. Kelly by her aunt, who encouraged her to ask the singer to be his god-daughter and entice him by rubbing his head and sitting on his lap, is disputing the claim. She got . Although a jury acquitted R. Kelly,. Advancing the culture and building bridges. Sparkle said that she had discussions with Hankerson, who was also Aaliyah's uncle, about signing to his Blackground record label about two weeks before Aaliyah's death in 2001, but that discussions fell apart. She says "There have been too many girls to count. Among the issues covered in the investigatory program were allegations made by a former Kelly protege, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards. Best known by her stage name, Sparkle rose to prominence as a member of R. Kelly's Rockland Records and was the first artist to release a single on the label. I cant help the lies told on me & under oath at all & cause ya momma mad at me cause yall were FORCED to testify To what degree, singer, Sparkle's niece, is cooperating with authorities is still not official. An exchange between two ex-lovers? For full coverage of the ongoing R. Kelly case, see The R. Kelly Trial Reports. Prosecutors are pushing for another conviction on those charges to add to R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering by a New York jury last month. ), "I watched a few seconds of it, and I refused to watch the rest," Adra Gengler testified. The young girl who was recorded in the infamous and wide-spread tape of R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts is going back on years of precedence and cooperating with investigators in the child pornography case against the R&B singer. Following the allegations made in court, Sparkle took to social media to issue a video statement denying the claims. Unsurprisingly, that testimony did not sit well with Sparkle, who reacted to her neices claims online after someone asked her, Are you the aunt who had that child rub R. Kellys head? We were still cool." By continuing to use this site, you agree to our updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! | Follow on Twitter: @BridgetEE and IG: @Bridgetee26, Source: MadameNoire.com/iOne Digital / MadameNoire. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! ", Though it's causing division within her family, Sparkle said that she's aiding the Chicago police investigation. Sparkle first started singing in her fa Stephanie Edwards (born May 13, 1975), better known by her stage name Sparkle is an American RB singer. What is the relationship between the two singers? But things have changed since 2008. "Surviving R.Kelly," a Lifetime docu-series that's airing in six parts on three nights about musician R. Kelly, has reinvigorated the public's interest in the long list of accusations made against the controversial singer. Apple Music Film, TV & Stage. Fast forwarding to now, R Kelly pretty much got a life sentence plus he still has more charges to face. According to The New York Times, the girl in the video is now working with investigators after the disgraced singer was arrested last week on a slew of federal charges, including sex trafficking, child pornography and obstruction of justice. Now that her niece has finished testifying, Sparkle is speaking out again - and what she's saying is EXPLOSIVE. We were very cordial.". Flavor Of Love Reality Star Deelishis' Niece Reportedly Killed in Mass Shooting; Baddies West Season 3 Fights: Stunna Girl vs. Everybody; 50 Cent Inks Non-Exclusive Broadcast Deal With Fox; Cardi B & Offset Meal Launches at McDonald's on Valentine's Day; Leilani Capalot - T Shirt Music Video & BTS | Video Zone Black women Sparkle was also the one to call her family members when she would find out that the niece was alone in the studio with him. Kelly is now facing state and federal charges including sexual assault, obstruction of justice, child pornography, and racketeering. I cant help he lies told on me & under oath at the.. & cause ya Momma mad at me cause yall were FORCED to testify.. [shrug emoji]. put a few things in context,. he asked. Sparkle has openly confronted the fact that her niece has lied about her in court. Sparkle is claiming that the victims mother was also upset at her, and the victims testimony was aimed at getting back at her for going against Kelly. Sparkle, however, disputed the witness account after a social media user questioned her about it. [article id="1587950"]The mother of another friend of the alleged girl on the tape[/article] cried when she talked about seeing the tape for the first time and recognizing her daughter's friend, saying she was "100 percent certain" it was her by her face, her hairstyle and her voice. There are a lot of people who are very jealous of me right now and they're trying to destroy me.". Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. Cole, Daisy Jones & The Six, And More, One trip back to the '70s, another to the future, Deem Spencer Swims Into The Deep End Of His Mind, The New York rapper adds a new layer of introspection and maturity to his trademark jovial teenage anguish with 'AdultSW!M', Diasporic Reflections: Four Black Creatives Making Art Tinged With Legacy, Joshua Renfroe, Kuukua Eshun, Aja Monet, and Mike Abrantie tell MTV News about purpose and perspective in Black communities worldwide, Bop Shop: Songs From Kelela, PinkPantheress And Ice Spice, The Boyz, And More, The boy might be a liar, but the memes simply don't lie, SZA Brings Her Fans On An Emotional Voyage On 'SOS' Tour, In Chicago, the second night of her arena showcase found the singer sailing across a sea of victory, The musician discusses how art about half-human, half-mechatronic beings alongside their gender and racial identities informs their debut album, The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist. In 2002, Kelly re-entered Sparkle's life when a video that appeared to depict sex between Kelly and a 14-year-old came to the attention of police. 1 on iTunes. People in Kelly's circle interviewed in "Surviving R. Kelly" claim to have seen the woman on the singer's property multiple times in recent years. There's no denying it. You may recall in the 2008 trial against Kelly, the girl in the tape along with her family members refused to testify against the singer. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. 'You just know your family. Several witnesses identified the singer and the girl to authorities afterward, but Kelly was still acquitted of 14 child pornography charges on June 13, 2008. Last week, Kellywas arrested for an additional 13 counts of federal sex trafficking and child pornography charges. Sparkle Net Worth: Sparkle is an American R&B singer who has a net worth of $600 thousand. All Rights Reserved. Bossip Comment Policy Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Kelly got emotional during the sit-down and alleged that he is "fighting for his . According to a federal indictment unsealed last week, Kelly gave the girl and her family gifts and money before and after the trial so she would lie to investigators, avoid questioning, and so she would not testify against him. She also spoke out in September 2021 after the singerwas convictedof nine counts of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges, and sentenced to 30 years behind bars. Kelly is facing multiple sexual assault charges and is being held without bail. If you are in your 40's you have seen the video (whether you want to admit it or not). Sparkle went on to sign with Motown Records and released a second album, titled "Told You So," in 2000.