Six victims of R. Kelly are pursuing legal action to recover nearly $10 million in unpaid damages from a 2022 judgment. The victims, who were featured in the Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly," have only received approximately $500,000 through two payments.

Photo Credit: R. Kelly at Groovin in the Park 2017 by comechatwitmi / CC by 3.0

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, names:

• R. Kelly (currently incarcerated)
• Donnell Russell (his former manager, also imprisoned)
• Universal Music
• Universal Music-Z Tunes
• IndyBuild (Chicago-based revenue sharing platform)

The judgment breakdown includes:

• $5.1 million in compensatory damages
• $4.5 million in punitive damages
• Daily interest of $2,450.30

The plaintiffs argue that Universal Music, despite ending their co-publishing agreement with Kelly in 2019, remains contractually obligated to collect and remit music publishing royalties, which should be directed to the victims.

Kelly, once a prominent R&B artist, is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence at Butner Federal Prison in North Carolina. His 2022 conviction includes charges of sex trafficking, racketeering based on sexual exploitation of children, and producing child pornography, following years of allegations dating back to the 1990s.

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