Singer Sparkle was the only member from the girl's family to testify against Kelly in 2008, identifying her niece in the tape. Sparkle tried to team up with Kelly once more but was unable, due to past issues. Singer and backup dancer Sparkle, whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, doesn't regret identifying R&B artist R. Kelly as the man involved with an underage girl in a 2002 leaked sex tape . She was born on the 13th of May 1968 in Chicago Illinois in the United States. As of 2022, Sparkle's net worth is $600 thousand. but according to singer-songwriter Sparkle, . Sparkle's Niece Now Working With Authorities In R. The young girl who was recorded in the infamous and wide-spread tape of R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts is 07.18.19 Now she's stepped . "You can find his name on a lot of credits on previous albums. Those suspicions were heightened after a now-infamous video, which shows Kelly intimately engaging with. R&B singer Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, who appeared in episode two of Surviving R. Kelly, revealed that the girl in the tape was, in fact, her niece. R&B singer Sparkle breaks down while taking about introducing her niece to R. Kelly on new documentary series 'Surviving R. Kelly.' Singer Sparkle testified back then that it was her niece on the video but her niece nor anyone else in the family would corroborate her identity on the video tape. He was eventually acquitted. The estimated speaking fee range to book Sparkle for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. "We've had contact all along with the girl's family," Chicago police spokesperson Officer Pat Camden said. She is now in her twenties and reportedly the daughter of his former guitarist, and niece of his ex protg and one time girlfriend, singer Sparkle (Stephanie Edwards). The charges stemmed from a video that showed Kelly urinating on her 14-year-old niece during a sexual encounter. However, the disgusting part was the one when he peed all over her. She was raised ina family comprising of gospel artists. However, a high-power defense team convinced the jury that the . . She eventually became a key witness in Kelly's 2008 child pornography case, claiming that the . Since the aunt, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, has now testified in the case for the prosecution, the paper is publishing that interview in full. In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost her the. In @nytimes Feat. Before Fame She grew up in Chicago, Illinois and first met Kelly in 1989. In 2002, the singer Sparkle, whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, claimed her niece was the underage girl in an infamous sex video featuring R. Kelly. The incendiary and necessary Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly brought the "Bump & Grind" singer's misdeeds further into the light and exposed him for the manipulative sleaze that he is. R. Kelly's former collaborator, Sparkle, whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, was the first woman to publicly accuse the R&B singer of misconduct when, in 2002, she claimed her underage niece . According to reports, the songstress was the first person to speak out against R. Kelly for his ill behavior over 20 years ago after she allegedly viewed a sexually explicit video featuring the singer and her 14-year-old niece. Sparkle collaborated with Kelly for her 1998 breakout single "Be Careful," which Kelly wrote, produced, and directed the video for. Sparkle's niece is allegedly the 14-year-old in the sex tape video for which R. Kelly faced, but was . It appears that the walls are literally closing in on R. Kelly. R&B singer Sparkle breaks down while taking about introducing her niece to R. Kelly on new documentary series 'Surviving R. Kelly.' In a contentious court battle, Edwards testified against Kelly in 2008, according to ET Online. . she believed it was safe for her then 12-year-old niece to meet the singer. Sparkle, who had a hit with Kelly in 1998 called "Be Careful," told radio DJ Adimu of the Beat (KKBT) on April 3 that her niece was a fledging rapper whom she introduced to Kelly. After Kelly refused to work with Sparkle, she claimed her niece was in the sex tapes having sex with R. Kelly. Join others and track this artist. Kelly often filmed sexual acts with Van Allen and other girls, without their permission. Sparkle generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. On August 31, 1994, R. Kelly, 27, illegally married Aaliyah, who was only 15 years old, in Chicago. Sparkle is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . To what degree, singer, Sparkle's niece, is cooperating with authorities is still not official. But yes . SparkleKelly's former collaboratorclaimed the child in the video was her 14-year-old niece, whom she introduced to Kelly when she was only 12. Sparkle (born May 13, 1975) is famous for being r&b singer. Interview JimDeRogatisand Sparkle, 2/4/02 Tape 2 . Rumors are that the family is still connected to Kelly. A sex tape . Her testimony sliced her family into factions, relegating her to years of. 2008. Her niece was subsequently the subject of Kelly's . Sparkle, an R&B singer and aunt of the unnamed underage girl in the sex tape, introduced Kelly to the alleged victim, a meeting that still "haunts" her, according to an emotional clip from the . Sparkle was a former backing singer for Aaliyah and Mary J. Blige before releasing her eponymous debut album in 1998 on Kelly's Rockland Records (with distribution through Interscope Records). Sparkle has been speaking out against R. Kelly, her former mentor, for twenty years. Note: In case you don't know Sparkle, she's one of R. Kelly's former singers. Sparkle (Stephanie Edwards) (@isparklei) Instagram photos and videos isparklei 123 posts 25K followers 379 following Sparkle (Stephanie Edwards) Musician Response To The Verdict @thecut Life Feat. Sparkle testified against R. Kelly in a subsequent criminal trial on charges of child pornography in 2008. Sparkle had initially introduced her niece to the entertainer in 1997 with the hopes that, given her own mentor/mentee relationship with the singer-producer, he'd help launch the young girl's . She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, USA. But more importantly, her niece is allegedly the 14-year-old girl who was seen in the video with the artist, allegedly. Stephanie Edwards made a statement to the New York Times: R&B Singer Faces A Barrage Of Damning Testimony . She said this took place during a time when other members of her family also had a working relationship with the singer (Sparkle's brother-in-law, for instance . Since the news of her niece's cooperation has been made public, Sparkle says she is thrilled. Well, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards one of the first to come out about the singer has a few things to say about it. Some have ridiculed the singer because she introduced her niece to R. Kelly when the girl was 12. Although a jury acquitted R. Kelly, the Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. In 2002, the Chicago Police and a writer for the Chicago Sun Times showed Sparkle a videotape allegedly of her young niece, then approximately 14, and R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts. Sparkle herself wasn't victimized by Kelly, but her niece was the 14-year old girl in the tape. She said that his acquittal then affected her view of the #MeToo movement a decade later. Sparkle Speaks On "Surviving R. Kelly" Sparkle is speaking out on the "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary and dishing more details on what was left out.. Sparkle identified the young girl as her niece. "But until our investigation is complete, we can't confirm or deny that [Sparkle is the girl's aunt]." Sparkle said that she regrets not being a better protector of her niece. Credit. The "Better Be Careful" singer was one of the first people to go public about Kelly's pedophilia when she reported to police that it was her then-14-year-old niece that Kelly was seen . June 4. One of those girls was singer Sparkle 's 14-year-old niece. One day, Kelly allegedly left a bag of his . Ivie Ani Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering Photo Credit: Gary Miller for Getty Images) Sparkle's niece, whose refusal to testify against the singer in the. Sparkle's debut album, the self-tit read more. Following the 52-year-old singer's emotional interview with Gayle King earlier this week, ET spoke to Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, one of the women featured in the Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly. In 2002, Sparkle saw a video of her niece with R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts. One of the people who spoke out was Sparkle, an artist he produced and the aunt of the 14-year-old who was allegedly urinated on in the sex tape video. he had done to my niece." Kelly . In fact, the awful video went viral for years. Kelly denies he is on the tape. Apparently, the videotape had clips of kelly having sex with then young 14-year-old Reshonda Landfair. Sparkle continues to face a backlash after the premiere of "Surviving R. Kelly.". She was shown a video of Kelly engaging in sexual activity with a young girl who Sparkle identified as her 14-year-old niece. Sparkle was the first and only successful artist to release an album on Kelly's Rockland label. Sparkle met singer R. Kelly in while he was working on a male artist in 1989. According to The New York Times, the girl in the video is now working with investigators after the disgraced singer was arrested last week on a slew of federal charges, including sex trafficking,. Singer Sparkle was the only member from the girl's family to testify against Kelly in 2008, identifying her niece in the tape. "I needed to act quickly, and that's what I did." Sparkle says she became suspicious of R. Kelly's involvement with her teenage niece in 2001. In our exclusive interview, she shared that the decision cost her the relationship with her family. Sparkle was then reportedly blackballed from the singing industry for calling the police and reporting what she had seen. When Sparkle alerted the police, it led to a 2008 child pornography trial for Kelly, who was . Since the aunt, Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards, has now testified in the case for the prosecution, the paper is publishing that interview in full. According to reports, the songstress was the first person to speak out against R. Kelly for his ill behavior over 20 years ago after she allegedly viewed a sexually explicit video featuring the singer and her 14-year-old niece. This is survivor Lisa Van Allen, followed by singer and former R. Kelly protg Sparkle. The singer, real name Stephanie Edwards, alleges that the girl on this videotape was her 14-year-old niece, whom she had introduced to Kelly along with other members of her family, including her . According to Sparkle's extensive interview in the docu-series, the singer brought her niece -- a young rapper who remained unnamed throughout -- to meet Kelly. Sparkle testified at trial in 2008 that the man in the video was Mr. Kelly, and that the girl was her 14-year-old niece. As of 2019, she is 51 years old. "It fucked me up," Sparkle says of the tape . While Sparkle no longer has ties with R. Kelly, the R&B singer says her niece's father is still working for the singer. Stephanie Edwards, a singer known as Sparkle, testified at R. Kelly's 2008 trial. Lifetime's 3 night documentary 'Surviving R Kelly' has sparked tons of conversation. Sparkle Age and Early Life. The New York Times previously reported Kelly was accused of making a 27-minute sex tape with an underage female, Sparkle's niece. Apparently, the videotape had clips of kelly having sex with then young 14-year-old Reshonda Landfair. On this week's episode of The Cut, senior writer Angelina Chapin and co-host Jazmn Aguilera talk about and talk with Sparkle (born Stephanie Edwards), who first reported R. Kelly to the police for allegedly sexually abusing her 14-year-old niece.Back then, no one believed her, but following the explosive documentary Surviving R. Kelly and the R&B artist's trial, at the end of which he . Sparkle's niece would now be in her 30's. You better be careful what you do to me -Sparkle. January 24, 2019. Interview JimDeRogatisand Sparkle, 2/4/02 Tape 2 . In 2019, she participated in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary. People in Kelly's circle interviewed in "Surviving R. Kelly" claim to have seen the woman on the singer's property multiple times in recent years. Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards was the first woman to speak out against R. Kelly years ago after watching a sexually explicit video featuring the disgraced entertainer and her 14-year-old niece. She eventually became a key witness in Kelly's 2008 child pornography case, claiming that the young girl in the video in question was her 14-year-old niece. Megan Thee Stallion Drops Sleek "Plan B" Music Video Vibe. Just a few months before, on May 24, 1994, Aaliyah's debut album Age Ain't Nothing But a . @lifetimetv Surviving R. Kelly For Women/Girls New Single-'Open Letter' www.isparklei.com Posts Reels In fact, the awful video went viral for years. Singer who came to prominence in the late 90s through her collaborations with R. Kelly . Sparkle, originally Stephaine Edwards was the one in the stand identifying the young girl to be her niece. The album's only minor hit was 'It's A Fact' which reached #62 on the R&B charts. Sparkle was then reportedly blackballed from the singing industry for calling the police and reporting what she had seen. Sparkle, originally Stephaine Edwards was the one in the stand identifying the young girl to be her niece. Trivia Many people have criticized Sparkle for even . However, the disgusting part was the one when he peed all over her. Sparkle herself wasn't victimized by Kelly, but her niece was the 14-year old girl in the tape. The singer would take the stand against Kelly in his 2008 criminal . "I was horrified and disgusted," she told me. Stephanie "Sparkle" Edwards has faced some backlash from folks who hold her partially responsible for her then-14-year-old niece's alleged appearance in R. Kelly's 2002 sex tape. An R&B singer who was once Kelly's protg, Sparkle testified for more than an hour and a half Thursday afternoon during Kelly's child-pornography trial, describing how she introduced her niece . In 2001, the singer Sparkle (seen above in the 2019 Lifetime series Surviving R Kelly), whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, went public with allegations that R Kelly sexually assaulted her niece .