Is R. Kelly Broke? Singer's Chicago Area Home in Foreclosure Proceedings

Getting "Trapped in the Closet" is going to be easy to get out of compared to the foreclosure proceedings R. Kelly is reportedly facing on his South Suburban Chicago home.

According to a recently released report by Crain's Chicago Business, the talented/troubled singer/songwriter is facing a $2.9 million dollar foreclosure lawsuit on his home in Olympia Fields, IL, just outside of Chicago.

"The singer-songwriter, whose full name is Robert S. Kelly, has failed to make monthly mortgage payments since June 2010 on the property on Maros Lane, according to a complaint filed by J. P. Morgan Chase Bank N.A. last month in Cook County Circuit Court," said the report.

Of course, the Grammy-award-nominated singer could just be forcing the bank to modify his loan, the way that many underwater homeowners are in this economy. Kelly's 11,140-square-foot home was appraised at $5.2 million in 2009, but has since fallen precipitously to a $3.8 million appraisal in 2010, according to the Crain's report. Sources said Kelly has not lived in the home for over a year.

R. Kelly is one of the most successful recording artists of all time. He sold over 8 million of his 1998 album "R.," and has recorded songs for the soundtracks of "Space Jam," "Batman & Robin" and even the 2010 World Cup. His latest album "Love Letter" had a hit "When a Woman Loves" on the Billboard chart at #15. He has won Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (all for the song "I Believe I Can Fly").

While Kelly's popularity has been on the wane since allegations of (highly) inappropriate sexual relations with a minor emerged back in 2002, he finally successfully overcame a litany of charges (including producing child pornography) in 2008. While that may be the end of criminal proceedings, he is facing yet another very costly legal battle.

On June 20th of this year, he was sued by his former manager Jeff Kwatinetz for a million dollars for breach of oral contract and fraud. Kwatinex claims he was stiffed out of a 15% commission on R. Kelly's song royalties because "Monies were needed for payments to avoid lawsuits and adverse publicity resulting from Kelly's alleged conduct."

It sounds like Kwatinetz may be right in that Kelly's legal troubles have to have become incredibly expensive.

In 2006, former R. Kelly employee Henry "Love" Vaughn filed a lawsuit against Kelly accusing him of "assault, false imprisonment, and a breach of contract," including stealing song royalties that were rightfully his.

Back in 2009, Kelly was sued by a Kansas City-based private investigator Charles Freeman for non-payment of services "obtain and/or recover certain tapes that were said to incriminate" the singer. At the time, Kelly's reps accused Freeman of faking a sex tape and attempting to extort money from him.

Whether there is any truth to any of these allegations (or the countless others), fighting them seems to be slowly draining R Kelly's "Space Jam" bank.

To date, R Kelly has been found not guilty of all charges filed against him.

So what do you think? Is R Kelly just another victim of a down economy and a horrible housing market, or is he getting his just rewards for bad past behavior?

Do you think he's really broke or just forcing the issue with the bank? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.