In the midst of his legal battles, incarcerated R&B singer R. Kelly claims to have been unaware of an August 2023 ruling that granted six women $10.5 million over alleged mass shooting threats connected to the cancellation of a screening for the docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" in December of 2018.

The women accused R. Kelly and his former manager, Donnell Russell, of victimization. The plaintiffs argue that the 2018 incident stirred up past traumas and caused emotional distress. It wasn't until August of last year that the six women secured a substantial victory with compensation for each woman expected to range from $1.1 million to $2.25 million.

Kelly now places blame on Russell, asserting that if threats were made leading to the screening's shutdown, it was solely Russell's doing. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly argues that had he been aware of the lawsuit, he would have contested it. Citing an inundation with legal matters and recent changes in his legal representation, he suggests that this specific lawsuit never reached his attention.

Kelly further asserts that he lacks the ability to read or understand legal documents beyond a grade school level, relying heavily on his legal team to interpret and relay the content and implications.

This legal battle adds an additional layer of complexity to R. Kelly's existing 30-year prison sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking, along with an additional 20 years for child sex crimes, further entangling the controversial artist in a web of legal troubles.