Witnesses described R. Kelly’s studio, referred to as the “Chocolate Factory,” during the singer’s trial in Brooklyn.
Witnesses have testified to the extent of R. Kelly’s controlling set of rules that he implemented inside his Illinois mansion, during the singer’s trial in Brooklyn. Several of Kelly’s former employees say female guests had to wear baggy clothes, avoid eye contact with and not speak to other men, and not leave their room without permission from Kelly or one of his associates.
Anthony Navarro began working as a runner for Kelly in 2007 and compared the studio, which was located inside Kelly’s mansion, as “like the Twilight Zone.” In this role, he’d pick up meals for Kelly or his guests and answer phone calls.
“It was almost like the Twilight Zone when you went into the gate, like you’re in this different world that was just a strange place,” Navarro testified.
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He added that guests were not allowed to go anywhere on the property without explicit permission.
“They weren’t supposed to be wandering around,” Navarro explained during the trial. “They had to get permission to do most things. They’d have to call either down to the studio or get ahold of Rob if they wanted anything, like food or things like that.”
Two women also testified about the requirements and referred to them as “Rob’s Rules.”
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