A woman will testify at R. Kelly’s upcoming child-pornography trial that she had a three-way sexual encounter with Kelly and the allegedly underage girl shown in the videotape at the center of the case, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Saturday (May 3). Jury selection for the long-delayed case is scheduled to begin Friday.

In the case, prosecutors claim to have identified the girl in the videotape, who is now in her 20s. Kelly’s lawyers are planning to argue — and the alleged victim will reportedly testify — that she is not the girl in the tape, according to the Sun-Times.

But the new witness could weaken that defense, since she will identify the girl — and claim the girl was underage — sources reportedly told the paper. [ source ]

There are so many things wrong with this story.

I’m glad someone is trying to bring some truth to the light, but I would not be the one to go on record saying that I may have slurped on a 14-year old’s pattywhack with R.Kelly. That is just nasty and I hope this woman has made her peace with The Lord for that.

Hopefully, this twist in events will play a siginificant role in the trial (if that shit ever kicks off). I’m ready for Robert to go to the chokie. 

Cedella Marley Booker, mother of late reggae icon Bob Marley, died Tuesday night at her South Florida home after a long illness. She was 81.

Booker was surrounded by loved ones inside her South Miami-Dade home and was ”very happy and very peaceful,” said daughter-in-law Sharien Booker. “Her vision was always to bring people together. She was a very loving person, and we know she’s happy.”

Booker’s grandson, Ky-Mani Marley, an accomplished musician himself, told The Miami Herald she had always been a “caring and supporting person in my life. She was always there to help me — even when I didn’t ask for help, she knew I needed help. She had that instinct to know when things were wrong and had the courage to fix it.” [ source ]

Booker was also a performer, with her own albums and spots on stage in her son’s shows. She also published books on Bob Marley. The Miami Herald reports that she is leaving behind 52 grandchildren!

My condolences to the family in their loss. 

Grammy-winning singer Toni Braxton was admitted to a Las Vegas hospital Monday night, says a spokeswoman for a hotel-casino where the singer has been performing.

Braxton was admitted to the St. Rose Dominican Hospital with an undisclosed ailment that is not life-threatening, Deanna Pettit, a spokesperson for the Flamingo Hotel-Casino, tells the Associated Press.

The singer, 40, is expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. She has been headlining her live show “Toni Braxton: Revealed” five days a week at the Flamingo Hotel-Casino since 2006.

While the nature of Braxton’s illness was not disclosed, the singer has spoken in public about her heart condition, pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart.

“I found out about five or four years ago” the artist told PEOPLE in February. “I’ve also been diagnosed with hypertension.”  [ source ]

This one is for you, girl!