R Kelly: 'Third video' exists of singer 'sexually abusing underage girl', according to Michael Avenatti

Lawyer says his office is 'working to recover' the alleged tape

A third tape shows R Kelly sexually abusing an underage girl, lawyer Michael Avenatti has claimed.

The attorney shared the update on Twitter, writing: “We have become aware of the existence of a third tape, that allegedly shows further acts of sexual abuse of an underage girl by R Kelly.”

He said his office is currently “working to recover” the alleged tape to turn it over to law enforcement.

Last week, Avenatti shared a similar message on Twitter, claiming a VHS tape had been “recently uncovered and recovered” after “multiple clients” retained his office’s services in connection with allegations of sexual assault made against Kelly.

He said the recording is “clear”, lasts for approximately 45 minutes, shows Kelly “engaging in multiple sexual assaults of a girl underage”, and has ”never previously been publicly disclosed or, until recently, provided to law enforcement”.

Avenatti also stated that the video is not related to a previous case in which Kelly was charged, and said that “the time frame of the sexual assaults depicted in the video is within the Illinois statute of limitations”.

In 2002, Kelly was indicted on several counts of child pornography, in a case revolving around a “sexually explicit videotape with an underage girl”, The New York Times reported at the time.

He was acquitted of all charges in 2008.

Kelly has faced accusations of sexual abuse for two decades and has never been convicted.

Allegations against him have gained renewed attention following the release in January this year of the six-part Lifetime documentary Surviving R Kelly.

Last month, Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg denied all claims against the singer, telling AP: “The allegations aren’t true because he never knowingly had sex with an underage woman, he never forced anyone to do anything, he never held anyone captive, he never abused anyone.”

The Independent has contacted Greenberg for more information.