Did R. Kelly die in prison before serving his sentence?

A recent claim spread online alleging that former R&B singer, songwriter, and convicted sex offender R. Kelly died in prison. TikTok user Zach news king (@zachxposts) shared the information on December 1, captioning the post with “Rip.”  

“R. Kelly passed away in jail,” the 1-minute video was titled.  

The video displayed a Google Search for the former record producer, with the TikToker claiming,  
“R. Kelly has just passed away in prison. Just a few hours ago, he was just shanked. And I guess somebody really hated this guy because he is now in grave.”  

The post quickly gained attention, accumulating over 415,800 views at the time of writing.  

However, the viral claim turned out to be false. R. Kelly has not died in prison, nor was he fatally stabbed. The TikTok video lacked credible evidence or any reliable source to confirm the rumor.  
Zach news king is known for spreading false claims for the sake of sensationalism and gaining views. Previously, the account made similar unfounded allegations about former boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Lil Durk, claiming they had died.  

The video rumor also spread to other social media platforms, including Facebook. In addition to asserting that R. Kelly was "shanked" in a "maximum security prison in North Carolina," the TikToker went on to explain who the former artist is, his age, and the reasons behind his conviction and imprisonment.