A TikTok video shared on Facebook claims rapper R. Kelly has purportedly been released from prison following a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Verdict: False

A White House spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

R. Kelly said he has written 25 albums while serving his current prison sentence, according to Vice. Kelly made the revelation while appearing on the Inmate Tea with A&P podcast, the outlet reported, citing NME.

The TikTok video claims R. Kelly has purportedly been released from prison following a pardon from Trump. “R. Kelly RELEASED Y’ALL,” the video’s caption reads. The post links to the TikTok video, which appears to show R. Kelly make his way down the sidewalk before answering questions from reporters.

“Incarcerated Singer R. Kelly Released From Prison After Being Pardoned By US President Donald Trump,” text superimposed on the video reads.

The claim is false. According to Reuters, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan recently upheld R. Kelly’s sex trafficking and racketeering convictions. The rapper is serving a 30-year prison sentence after being convicted of one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act. R. Kelly was also convicted of child sex crimes in a separate case in 2022, the outlet reported.

Likewise, Trump has not made any reference to the claim via his personal or government X accounts, his TRUTH Social account, or his verified social media accounts. The claim also does not appear on the White House’s website. Check Your Fact also did not find any credible news reports suggesting the rapper had been released from jail or pardoned by Trump as the Facebook post suggests.

In addition, Lead Stories debunked the claim on April 2, indicating records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons showed Kelly still listed as an inmate. Check Your Fact searched the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ database and found that Kelly is currently incarcerated at FCI Butner Medium I. Lead Stories also reported that the TikTok video shared via the Facebook post showed the rapper in 2019, not recently. (RELATED: Is Ford Moving Four Of Its Factories Back To The US As A Result Of Trump’s Recent Tariffs?)

Furthermore, a White House spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“That is obviously fake,” the spokesperson said of the claim.