I made two new friends today. I had been wanting to talk to them for weeks now, and I finally got my chance.
The logistics proved difficult because, as you know, Judge Vincent Gaughan's eleven-page court decorum order prevents me the media from talking to anyone else from anywhere else within the confines of Courtroom 500.
But today, the chase paid off. I caught 18-year old Jerhonda Johnson and 23-year old Keyonia Jones before they caught their respective busses on California Ave.
Johnson and Jones have been at every court proceeding since day one of this trial. All day, each day, they sit in the back spectator rows and stare down the defendant in solidarity and in silence. They tell me he is innocent, and even if a jury proves otherwise- at least they have found each other. A friendship has blossomed from their fandom.
Johnson lives in Elgin and makes the 40-mile commute each day via Metra and the CTA. After the trip in, she waits in Douglas Park, where she knows she can catch a glimpse of Kelly as his tour bus parks. She will watch as he proceeds to hop in his black SUV for the seven block drive to the courthouse.
Johnson walks.
Jones joins her each day around nine. She doesn't know what she's going to do Monday though, when she is scheduled to start her fourth semester at Harold Washington College.
Jones travels north about 40 blocks from her parents' home. Though her trip is shorter, her devotion is just as strong. She leaves her two-year old son Robert (named after....yes, you guessed it) with her mother so she can be here. What does that mother think of all this?
"My mom thinks he's innocent," Jones laughed, assuring me this case would have never existed if it were not for Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards. She's the aunt of the alleged victim in the case as well as a professional singer, who was once on Kelly's record label.
Johnson agrees.
"I think she is behind the whole thing," she said- telling me Sparkle was the source of the now-infamous sex tape.
And what about that tape?
"I thought it was a bunch of B.S.," Johnson said before running for her bus.
"Are you headed to your parents' house?" I call after her.
"Yeah," she responds, explaining how she was neither enrolled in school nor seeking a job.
"I ain't got nothing else to do," she laughed. "Might as well spend my money on something."
Comments (4)
I seen that video and now that I see the young lady coming out of court that looks like the same girl that was in the video. Dont get me wrong I love R. Kelly music but when you wrong you wrong especially when it comes to messing with children. that's the privilage of being an adult he should have known better regardless how grown these young girls look these days shouldn't give a grown man the right to have sex with them. and for every woman out there protesting and rally for him they may as well take their daughters and let him have sex with them for a fee. It's like they are saying it's ok. We don't even know if it's the first young girl he has slept with this is just the first to get caught. And what about the relationship he had with the now decease singer Aaliyah when she was only like fifteen.
Posted by tracey | June 10, 2008 8:36 AM
Posted on June 10, 2008 08:36
The girl on the tape new what she was doing so it shouldnt matter she was active anyway.
Posted by Anonymous | June 9, 2008 6:08 PM
Posted on June 9, 2008 18:08
So sad that our youth is so easily manipulated and pliable. I know from personal experience that Robert has a serious problem with being predatory towards underage girls. It may stem from having genital herpes, and thinking that the younger they are- the less likely they are to give him anything else. Twisted logic, but its either that or he's just a pedophile. lol.
Crass I know, but my prayers still go out to Mr. Kelly and all those who may have been victimized in this entire ordeal.
Posted by Christmann Scofi | June 6, 2008 4:56 PM
Posted on June 6, 2008 16:56
Jones sounds like a devoted fan but Johnson sounds like exactly who she claims to be,a uneducated african american "girl" who doesn't have any goals!Not even one? Wowwww!It's very embarassing to the african american culture that these two young women didn't have any other hobby that did not include chasing an accused pedophile.I personally can't believe that they did not realize that R.Kelly Was on 26th California signing cd's!Whoever said "bimbo's" had blonde hair and big boobs stands to be contradicted by these chicks for real.I love R.Kelly's music but his image is crumbling day to day!A true friend like me say's get him some help the way friends should help friends.Whether it's him on the tape or not his credibility is questioned due to the marriage to te late and dearly missed R&B singer Aaliyah.I just hope that he gets a fair trial and his family is well during this "rubbish" that he's put his family through.
Posted by Rashugah | June 6, 2008 12:32 PM
Posted on June 6, 2008 12:32