Friday, 9 January 2009

R. Kelly & wife finalize divorce

Eleven year marriage ends

R. Kelly found not guilty in child porn case

R Kelly's real name's Robert Sylvester Kelly

R&B singer R. Kelly and his wife of 11 years, Andrea Lee Kelly, are officially divorced, according to a statement from their lawyers Thursday.

Kelly, 42, and Andrea, 35, will have joint custody of their three children. No other details were revealed.

The announcement follows Kelly's acquittal of child pornography charges in June.

The couple weathered martial ups and downs during the six-year-long case. In 2005, Andrea, filed an emergency protective order to keep the singer away from her amid claims of physical abuse which she rescinded weeks later. The couple then filed for divorce in 2006, but were still trying to make things work.

After years of silence, Andrea told Essence magazine in 2007, "Some people in my position would probably be very broken right now, and they would probably be saying, 'Woe is me.' But I'm just not that person."

The couple married in 1996, two years after the then-20-year-old Andrea had auditioned as a backup dancer for the singer/songwriter/record producer. She would go on to handle most of the choreography for his tours, videos and live performances.

Kelly, known for hit singles like "Bump N' Grind" and "I Believe I Can Fly," has sold more than 8 million albums and has had four number one albums.

By Debra Lewis-Boothman