Bring That Week Back! More legal troubles for R. Kelly, plus Keyshia’s hair obsession pays off. Check out this week’s hottest stories with pics here!

A singer reacts to her ex-boss’ acquittal of child pornography charges

Former R. Kelly protégé Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards remains firm on her identification of her allegedly underage niece as the person shown in a sex video with Kelly. Despite Kelly’s recent acquittal on child pornography charges, Edwards says the multi-platinum singer got away with robbing the cradle. “I was at peace with it because, the night before, I felt like the verdict would come down the next day,” Sparkle tells Philly radio host Kendra G. “I was talking to God all night. She continues, “Honestly, honestly honestly, I really didn’t want to see Robert go to jail. I just felt like he should’ve gotten some help.” The trial and Sparkle’s decision to testify has strained her family, some of whom denied her niece was in the video, she says. But she’s working to restore her family’s ties. “I did what I was supposed to do,” Sparkle adds.

Woman who claimed threesome with singer stole taped
Documents that have been unsealed in the R. Kelly child porn case show that a key witness was allegedly threatened for coming forward. An associate of the singer, who was found not guilty last week on 14 counts of video-recording sex acts with a minor, told Lisa Van Allen she’d be killed for testifying against Kelly, claims Van Allen. The Georgia woman was the prosecution’s only witness who testified to being present when Kelly allegedly recorded sex between himself, Van Allen and a girl who was believed to be 13 years old at the time. Van Allen also claims to have stolen a second tape of the three involved in sex acts together, which was not played for jurors during the trial. It was reported that she sold a tape to one of Kelly’s representatives before the trial began.

50 Cent reacts to ex-G-Unit member’s rant
What ever happened to the days when rappers played nice? Upon learning that former member of 50 Cent’s G-Unit, Young Buck, told fans he’d not been paid by the crew and shouted, “F–k G-Unit!,” 50 revealed a surprise: an old recording of Buck, apparently in tears, pleading for a second chance in the group. The phone recording has been making its rounds from Web blogs to both TMZ.com and the “TMZ” television show. So much for brotherly comfort.

Singer’s freedom remains subject of debate

Not unlike reactions to the six-year delay in his trial on child pornography charges, many are dismayed that R. Kelly is a free man. Fans, however, cheered Kelly after learning that he was found not guilty on 14 counts last week. Kelly gave a salute to spectators outside a Chicago courthouse where he’d repeated the words, “Thank you, Jesus,” after hearing jurors’ verdicts. He faced up to 15 years in prison if convicted of recording sex acts with a woman believed to be about 13 years old. But numerous message board entries and call-in radio hotlines indicate stunned amazement that Kelly was found to guilty. It’s likely that thousands of copies of the videotape allegedly featuring Kelly have been reproduced and circulated throughout the Black community for years leading up to the trial. Even comedian Dave Chappelle made a memorable parody video in which he dressed like Kelly and sang, “I want to p–s on you,” referring to the video’s most talked-about act. After the Friday verdict, jurors didn’t identify themselves by name, but several said the young woman’s identity was key to Kelly’s freedom: They were certain Kelly was the man in 27 minutes footage, but not certain of the age or identity of his alleged sex partner. The alleged victim didn’t testify.

Jurors resume deliberation in singer’s child pornography case. Jury members resume deliberating in the case of singer R. Kelly today, after a little over three hours of considering his fate on child pornography charges Thursday. Kelly’s fate on 14 criminal counts of alleged videotaped sex acts with a girl, who was possibly 13 years old at the time, went to jurors Thursday. No possible indicators of the jury’s leaning were given, except when they requested a transcript of star prosecution witness Lisa Van Allen’s testimony. Van Allen claimed that she had three-way sex with Kelly and the alleged victim, now 23, multiple times, and Van Allen positively ID’d Kelly and the teen from the video. Both have denied appearing in the footage, and Judge Vince Gaughan denied the jury’s request for Van Allen’s testimony. In closing arguments, prosecutor Shauna Boliker compared the four-week trial to a murder case, in which the victim can’t testify, since Kelly’s alleged victim didn’t take the stand. Boliker also suggested that defense lawyers made weak assertions about the footage having been altered. “That videotape, no matter what they say, contains (Kelly’s) face,” Boliker argued after the video was shown again. Kelly’s defense lawyer Sam Adam countered that the victim told a grand jury she’s not on the videotape, and that, to convict the singer: “You’re going to have to say this girl, before the world, is a whore. My momma used to tell me if you ain’t got nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all.” For the latest on the R. Kelly case developments, go to BET.com/News.

Jurors began deliberating R. Kelly’s fate at about 3:30 p.m. (ET)

Nine men and three women began deliberations today in the R. Kelly trial. Their decision will determine if R. Kelly will face prison on 14 counts of child pornography. Closing arguments are set after witnesses for the prosecution testified of their beliefs that a tape shows Kelly engaged sexually with an underage girl, while defense witnesses countered that the alleged victim, at least, is not shown in footage. The jury’s verdict is likely to hinge on whether its members believe a child was exploited moreso than whether Kelly’s ID can be proved positively, experts say. “Making the case stand for more than this girl is important to make the jury go your way,” New York lawyer Paul DerOhannesian, a trial observer, tells the Chicago Tribune.