For the first time, R. Kelly has personally addressed last week’s allegations that claim he is holding women in an “abusive cult” in his homes. In a short video posted to TMZ on Friday, the R&B singer speaks directly to the camera, ensuring fans that his three upcoming East Coast shows in Virginia Beach, VA, Baltimore, MD, and White Plains, NY are still on.
“I just want to let my fans know, despite all of the crap y'all hearing, I will be coming to the East Coast to do my show,” Kelly said. “And believe me y’all, it’s a bunch of crap.”
The allegations came as a result of a BuzzFeed News investigation published on July 17 that claimed R. Kelly is keeping multiple women in his home and controlling their every move, including their sex lives. R. Kelly’s lawyer released a statement on behalf of her client, which said "Mr. Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed by the recent revelations attributed to him," adding that he "will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name."
More fuel was added to the fire when one of the women allegedly held against her will spoke to TMZ: Jocelyn Savage, 21, denied the accusations. "I’m not being brainwashed or anything like that," Savage said. "I just want everybody to know—my parents and everybody in the world—that I am totally fine. I’m happy where I’m at, and everything is okay with me." She also pleaded with her father, who was one of the main sources in the original BuzzFeed News report, to “stop embarrassing” her. But her father, Timothy, released a video of his own in response. He likened R. Kelly’s relationship to the women to slavery, and suggested that the FBI has been investigating the situation. He also claimed that some of the relationships in question began when the women were under the age of 18.
As of now, R. Kelly seems to be more worried about ticket sales than going to jail. But considering how serious the claims against him are, there's no doubt we haven’t seen the last of this case.
