R. Kelly misses court date in Chicago after he reportedly ‘refused transport’

R. Kelly missed a court date this week because he reportedly refused the transportation provided.

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The singer, born Robert Kelly, was scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a routine pretrial hearing, NBC News reported. Although the hearing took place without him, Cook County Judge Lawrence Flood inquired about Kelly's absence, according to the news site.

“The defendant was to be brought to court today. That was all worked out. The sheriffs were going to be bringing him over,” Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Gonzalez said. “As I understand it, he refused transport and so that is why the defendant is not before your honor today.”

However, Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg said that was “not 100% true.”

“I don’t want to discuss matters that I discussed with the U.S. Marshals Service in open court,” Greenberg said. “Suffice it to say, the Marshal Service says that moving Mr. Kelly is a large undertaking.”

In July, Kelly was charged with 18 new sexual abuse charges, including child pornography, by federal prosecutors in Illinois and New York. He is currently being held in a Chicago jail without bond. He has denied all sexual assault allegations of against him.

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