If you were hosting R&B maestro R. Kelly at your club, you might expect to meet some extravagant demands. Champagne fountains, maybe an ice sculpture in the shape of his face.
But you’d be wrong. According to a new lawsuit filed by Washington’s Stadium Club strip club over an aborted appearance from the star, Kelly is a humble man who just wants some Grey Goose.
In the lawsuit, filed against North Carolina-based promoter Desiree Trotter, Stadium Club owner James “Tru” Redding claims that Trotter promised to arrange an August 11 appearance by Kelly at the club in exchange for $10,000 up front, and $2,500 after the fact. Kelly would have already been in Washington that day to sign copies of his new book, Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me. Instead, according to the complaint, Kelly never appeared, and Trotter made off with $10,000.
Stadium Club didn’t respond to requests for comment about the case, and several attempts to reach Trotter failed. Management for Kelly, who is not named in the suit, didn’t respond to a request to verify whether the rider is genuine. While it’s unclear whether Trotter was actually working with Kelly, the rider does provide a look into the world of celebrity strip club appearances.
According to the rider, Kelly could be had for pretty cheap at just $12,500. His regular rate, according to the document, is between $30,000 and $40,000. Kelly’s other requirements to show up at a strip club for an hour:
- Four bottles of Moët Rosé champagne
- Four bottles of top-shelf liquor of R. Kelly’s choosing (“Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ciroc, etc.”)
- Parking for R. Kelly’s bus
- A waitress for the VIP room
But just because R. Kelly is getting paid $12,500 for an appearance, that doesn’t mean fans get to talk to him. The appearance rider specifies that Kelly won’t sing, and he definitely won’t do a meet-and-greet.