‘Exhausted’ key witness breaks down at R. Kelly‘s federal trial
CHICAGO — The continued cross-examination of a key witness against R. Kelly got off to an extraordinarily contentious and emotional start Friday. Within 15 minutes, the exchange had grown so argumentative and circular that the judge intervened, and within about 20 minutes the witness had broken down in tears.
Lisa Van Allen, 42, acknowledged at the start she was “exhausted” and did and testified that back in the late 1990s, she had sexual contact with Kelly and his underage goddaughter “Jane” at the behest of the singer, who also filmed and directed their encounters. After she took one of the tapes and sent it to a friend in Kansas City, Kelly and his associates offered her $250,000 to get it back, she said.
