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6 Celebrities Trying To Get Out Of Jail During The Coronavirus Pandemic

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6 Celebrities Trying To Get Out Of Jail During The Coronavirus Pandemic

As most of the world is staying home as the coronavirus spreads, certain celebrity inmates are attempting to do the same — although it's not going well for all of them. 

Imprisoned celebs like R. Kelly and Bill Cosby are asking for a reprieve from jail so they can quarantine themselves separately from the other prisoners, especially if they're in facilities where people are beginning to show symptoms.

Here are the celebrities asking to leave jail in light of COVID-19 so far: 

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1. R. Kelly wants to self-isolate in a hotel instead.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by R Kelly (@rkelly) on Dec 10, 2018 at 10:15am PST

R. Kelly is currently locked up while he awaits his trial on child pornography and sexual abuse charges, and this week, his lawyer filed paperwork asking if he could be released, claiming that the fact that he's 53 and recently had surgery puts him in a high risk category for contracting the virus. Instead, Kelly is requesting to stay with girlfriend Joycelyn Savage in a Chicago hotel. 

“Requiring people to reside in a custodial jail setting is tantamount to making them drink poison,” said Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg.

2. Bill Cosby could get an early release.

As Cosby serves a 10 year sentence for sexual assault, his lawyers are currently considering asking for him to be placed under house arrest instead in light of the spread of COVID-19.  

“Mr. Cosby’s lawyers are now considering filing a motion asking the court to release Mr. Cosby from prison and place him under house arrest for the duration of his sentence,” Cosby's publicist, Andrew Wyatt, said in a statement. “Specifically, the lawyers are focusing on whether states are granting early release to elderly inmates from prisons due to the Coronavirus — which could be a valid legal argument for Mr. Cosby.”

3. Michael Cohen won't be leaving jail. 

Though Cohen's made a few attempts for an early release while serving time for crimes committed In connection to Trump, earlier this week, a judge denied his request.

"Apparently searching for a new argument to justify a modification of his sentence to home confinement, Cohen now raises the specter of Covid-19," US District Court Judge William Pauley said. "That Cohen would seek to single himself out for release to home confinement appears to be just another effort to inject himself into the news cycle."

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4. Tekashi 6ix9ine asked to serve his sentence at home.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by 6ix9ine (@6ix9ine) on Oct 26, 2018 at 1:57pm PDT

Add this rapper to the list of celebrities who tried and failed to get out of jail early thanks to coronavirus. Given that Tekashi suffers from asthma, it's no surprise  he asked to end his sentence four months early. Although the judge who originally sentenced him did say that he would have given him house arrest instead of a prison sentence had he known about the pandemic, another judge has since denied Tekashi's request to leave, and he is still scheduled for release in July. 

5. Julian Assange's request was denied.

Wikileaks founder Assange asked to post bail to avoid contracting coronavirus in jail, considering his history of respiratory tract infections and heart problems, but his request was denied

“As matters stand today, this global pandemic does not as of itself provide grounds for Mr Assange’s release,” Judge Vanessa Baraitser said.

6. Michael Avenatti will be staying put.

Avenatti asked to leave jail early, citing a previous battle with pneumonia and claiming that his cell mate was showing symptoms, but a judge ultimately didn't have much sympathy for his situation, claiming that the prison he's at in New York isn't high-risk for virus spread.

“There is no basis to release Avenatti on medical grounds,” Judge James Selna said. “The Bureau of Prisons and MCC specifically have taken substantial steps to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. MCC has moved ‘at-risk’ prisoners, which presumably includes Avenatti, to a separate unit.”

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Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.