Charles Freeman took the stand in the R. Kelly Chicago trial and testified the singer agreed to pay him $1 million to secure sex tapes with minors. According to Rolling Stone, Freeman detailed a timeline and operated during Kelly’s federal child pornography trial.
Freeman was cross-examined on Wednesday, the eighth day of the trial. Legal representation for Kelly, Jennifer Bonjean, and representation for Kelly’s co-defendants highlighted Freeman received immunity for his cooperation, and he contradicted himself from a previous testimony with a Cook County grand jury.
Throughout cross-examination, Freeman reportedly chuckled and stated he was having a good time with the court proceedings. Near the end of the day, he was defensive, citing a full assessment of who he was, and was not being properly painted.
Freeman highlighted he and Kelly had been friends since 1991 and was hired with confidence. The call to recover the sex tapes occurred in 2001. The tapes reportedly showed Kelly in sexual acts with a minor. Freeman noted that he would receive a call from the late Jack Palladino, a private investigator known for assisting Bill Clinton and Harvey Weinstein, declaring he would receive a reward.
Freeman stated he signed a contract in August 2001 that revealed he would receive $100,000 and covered expenses for retrieving the tape. An additional deal would earn him $1 million total. The only presented evidence of the deal came from a 2008 lawsuit that was reportedly settled in the payment of an additional $150,000.
Freeman stated he still had copies of the tape in 2019 but turned them over to authorities once he was the subject of investigation.
The prosecution’s case against Kelly is expected to conclude next week.
