Joycelyn Savage, a girlfriend and alleged victim of R. Kelly who has stood by the disgraced singer as he was charged with and convicted of racketeering and sex-trafficking crimes, said in a recent court filing that the two are engaged to be married.
In a letter obtained by EW that was sent to District Court Judge Ann Donnelly on June 13, before Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, Savage identified herself as Kelly’s fiancée and pleaded for leniency, adding that Kelly “is not the monster that the government has described him to be.”
“My name is Joycelyn Savage, and I’m Robert Kelly’s fiancé[e],” she wrote. “I’m writing this letter in support of Robert in advance of his sentencing, so I can explain to the court that I’m not the victim that the government has portrayed me to be. My relationship with Robert is amazing. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We have a very special connection and are deeply in love. I still support Robert to this day because I love him and will always be here to support him.”
Savage also wrote that “it breaks my heart that the government has created a narrative that I’m a victim. I’m a grown woman, and can speak for myself which is why I wanted to provide this letter to the court.”
Kelly, 55, faced a minimum sentence of 10 years and maximum of life in prison. In their sentencing memo, prosecutors requested at least 25 years due to “the seriousness of the offenses, the need for specific deterrence and the need to protect the public from further crimes.” On June 29, Kelly got five years more than the recommendation.
Savage has publicly defended Kelly in the past, including a 2019 interview with CBS News’ Gayle King and another of Kelly’s girlfriends at the time, Azriel Clary.
Clary and Savage denied that they were being held against their will by Kelly and said that such allegations stemmed from their parents’ attempts to “get money and scam” the R&B star.