R. Kelly, March 2017 (Gary Miller/Getty Images)
Women of Color of Time’s Up, a subcommittee of theTime’s Uporganization, has issued anopen letterin which they condemnR. Kellyand join the#MuteRKellycampaign. The statement asks multiple companies—including RCA Records, Ticketmaster, Spotify, and Apple Music—to cut ties with the Kelly in the wake ofrecent allegations of physical and sexual abuselevied against him. 「The scars of history make certain that we are not interested in persecuting anyone without just cause. With that said, we demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly’s abuse made by women of color and their families for over two decades now,」 the letter reads. Find it in full onThe Root.
Kelly’s representative has since sentVarietya statement from the singer’s management:
Kelly supports the pro-women goals of the Time’s Up movement. Weunderstand criticizing a famous artist is a good way to draw attentionto those goals—and in this case, it is unjust and off-target. We fullysupport the rights of women to be empowered to make their own choices.Time’s Up has neglected to speak with any of the women who welcome R.Kelly’s support, and it has rushed to judgment without the facts. Soonit will become clear Mr. Kelly is the target of a greedy, consciousand malicious conspiracy to demean him, his family and the women withwhom he spends his time.
Kelly’s music is a part of American and African-American culture thatshould never—and will never—be silenced. Since America was born, blackmen and women have been lynched for having sex or for being accused ofit. We will vigorously resist this attempted public lynching of ablack man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture.
In July 2017, Jim DeRogatis—who,in 2002, anonymously received a video tape that allegedly showed R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl—reportedaccusations against Kelly that he allegedly held young women against their will in a Georgia by controlling 「every aspect of their lives.」 Since then, several women have come forward to detailalleged histories of sexual and physical abusefrom Kelly. In addition, aBBC3 documentaryalleges that Kelly groomed a minor as his sex 「pet.」
Earlier this month, R. Kelly’s spokesperson, entertainment attorney, and assistantcut ties with him. Several concerts—including, most recently, ashow at the University of Illinois—have beencanceled.
On Sunday, April 29, R. Kelly issued a written statement toMetro.co.uk: 「The women in my life are consenting adults and they with me on their free will. I am a God-fearing man, a son, a brother, and most importantly a father. The media has dissected and manipulated these false allegations to reach their own conclusions about me and what I do in my personal life.」