Cynthia Kelley was sole black juror in civil case.
Nick Ut / AP Photo
Rodney King is engaged to Cynthia Kelley, the sole black juror in his 1991 civil trial against the city of Los Angeles in which he was awarded $3.8 million. Videotape recorded four white police officers chasing King through the San Fernando Valley and then violently beating him. The officers’ acquittal at their criminal trial caused four days of riots in the city, and 55 people died. King and Kelley were both married during the civil trial, but met the day after it ended at a pizzeria in a meeting set up by King’s lawyer. The couple broke up during King’s appearance on the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and only reunited four months ago. Though they hadn’t seen each other in years, “It was like we were never apart,” Kelley said.
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