R&B singer R. Kelly, convicted on federal sex crimes and racketeering charges, is expected to remain in prison until at least December 21, 2045, according to multiple reports and federal sentencing records. This projected release date reflects the combined effect of his lengthy sentences for crimes in New York and Chicago and assumes he receives standard good-time credit while serving his time.
The “Step in the Name of Love” singer has been incarcerated since April 2023 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, a medium-security federal prison.
Background: Long Sentences for Multiple Convictions
In separate federal prosecutions, Kelly was sentenced to:
- 30 years in prison in 2022 for racketeering and sex trafficking in the Eastern District of New York, linked to years of exploitation of minors and adults.
- 20 years in 2023 in Chicago for child pornography and related sex-crime convictions, with most of that sentence running concurrently with his New York term, but with one additional consecutive year tacked on.
Because these federal terms largely overlap, his effective sentence is roughly 31 years, meaning he is not scheduled for release until the mid-2040s, when he will be in his late 70s.
Recent Legal Actions and Denials
In mid-2025, Kelly’s attorneys filed multiple motions seeking his release from custody, arguing that his life was in danger in prison — including allegations of a targeted plot against him by others within the federal system and claims of mistreatment.
Federal judges, however, denied these requests, ruling that the courts lacked jurisdiction to grant home detention or otherwise intervene in his incarceration conditions.
In one dramatic legal filing, his lawyers alleged that prison officials had even overdosed him on medication and that members of prison gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood posed a threat to his safety — claims that drew sharp rebuttals from federal prosecutors and were rejected by a Chicago federal judge.
Public Reaction and Ongoing Developments
Kelly’s imprisonment continues to draw attention — both because of the severity of his crimes and the sensational nature of recent court filings. His legal team has sought not only release but also relief through appellate courts, though as of early 2026, those efforts have not succeeded in shortening his sentence or moving him into home confinement.
As the singer approaches the final decades of his sentence, his projected December 21, 2045, release date stands as the earliest likely point of freedom under current federal law and sentencing computations.
