New York, August 16 – As promised at her August 9 press conference (see below), multi-platinum recording artist Lil’ Kim held a multipurpose press conference to: 1) publicly respond for the first time to her pending court case; 2) announce the creation of her charitable organization, Lil’ Kim Cares; and 3) unveil her new watch line.

Our new favorite person is Kim’s lawyer, Mel Sachs - we figure it was due to his expensive presence at the Bryant Park Hotel briefing that Kim was only twenty minutes late. Regarding the court case, the tiny rapper read a prepared statement in which she said, “I am completely innocent of the charges I have been accused of”.

At one point, Kim held up a stack of letters from supportive fans; one postmarked March 10, 2004 was from an inmate at the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson, MI. (We blanked out the sender’s name and number in the photo at left.) Another hand-written letter was dated in 2000, prior to the shooting incident for which Kim will be tried.

Kim’s new line of diamond-encrusted watches, called Royalty, will be priced from $1800 to $3500, and will be distributed by Jacob the Jeweler. More information should soon be available at www.royaltybylilkim.com.

Kim’s new charity, “Lil’ Kim Cares”, will benefit battered women, homeless causes and runaway kids. She encouraged fans to write with requests and charities they’d like Kim to get involved with, and promised to answer every e-mail, no matter how long it takes, so hit her up at www.lilkimcares.org.

Kim mentioned how she’d just received the Key to the City from Miami, where they love her, and where she’d just been recording, and where she will be again late this month for the MTV Video Music Awards.

Plans for the jewelry line include earrings, rings and belly chains. We’ll keep you updated - publicists promised press conferences as pieces are added.