The true story of R Kelly and Aaliyah – How they met when she was just 12; their secret teenage marriage, pregnancy rumours & more (Photos)

Work and play

Things between the pair of them seemed to be running smoothly, with Aaliyah giving an interview in 1994 saying: ‘[Kelly] is great is to work with, because really, it’s not like work because we’re really close.

‘So it’s just like fun really.’

Secret marriage

When Aaliyah was just 15 years old, she is alleged to have married Kelly, who was aged 27, on August 31 1994 in Chicago.A marriage certificate reported to be from their big day shows Aaliyah as citing her age as 18 at the time of their marriage.

While they tried to keep their marriage a secret to begin with, Aaliyah’s family found out about their union and, according to reports, were ‘outraged’ and demanded an annulment, which Aaliyah agreed to in October that year. Aaliyah and R Kelly are believed to have then parted way in 1995.

In an interview with GQ magazine in 2016, Kelly was asked about his reported marriage to Aaliyah, but he declined to comment. He said: ‘Because of Aaliyah’s passing, as I’ve always said, out of respect for her mother who’s sick and her father who’s passed, I will never have that conversation with anyone.

‘But I can tell you I loved her, I can tell you she loved me, we was very close. We were, you know, best best best best friends.’

Silence speaks a thousand words

Aaliyah reportedly tried to have their marriage records expunged in 1997, around the same time Kelly was in court with Tiffany Hawkins, a 20-year-old woman who was suing the rapper for $10million (£7.7m) for allegedly having sex with her when she was 15 and he was 24. The case was settled with a $250,000 settlement the following year, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

When Aaliyah was asked about her marriage at the time by the publication, she reportedly said: ‘I don’t really comment on that because I know that’s not true. When people ask me, I tell them, `Hey, don’t believe all that mess. We’re close and people took it the wrong way.’

A spokesperson for Aaliyah also said at the time: ‘When R. Kelly comes up, she doesn’t even speak his name, and nobody’s allowed to ask about it at all.’