A representative for R. Kelly has denied that the singer is involved in any wrongdoing after recent accusations that R. Kelly is holding women against their will. A Buzzfeed article ignited social media when it accused him of holding underage girls on properties in Chicago and Atlanta. The accusations said the women are being brainwashed, with their movements and every aspect of their lives controlled by Kelly.
The parents of a 21-year-old woman currently staying with Kelly held a press conference to make the public aware that they were pursuing legal action against Kelly. The daughter, Joycelyn Savage, has released videos obtained by TMZ in response to her parents’ press conference, saying that she is fine and that she doesn’t appreciate her parents interfering in her life. She also said that her parents were more aware of the situation of her going to live with Kelly than they have led the public to believe.
All seems well with the young woman in the video, police welfare checks haven’t resulted in any trouble for Kelly. As the Buzzfeed article states, “The law says that consenting adults may take part in any relationship they want, no matter how nontraditional.” At the end of one of the videos, when asked by the unidentified person behind the camera, “Are you currently in Georgia or where are you?” Savage stutters as if not knowing how to answer, then says “No I’m not. I’m not. I wouldn’t want to speak on that.” The off-camera the unidentified person then asks her, “Are you with other roommates? Are you free to go from where you are?” she responds, “No. I won’t speak on that as well.”
Previous charges alleging misconduct with underage women, including numerous cases that R. Kelly has settled out of court, were not enough to dissuade some parents from bringing their aspiring singer daughters to concerts and then later meet with Kelly. “He is a lyrical genius—he is R. Kelly! And the fact he went to court, he was never found guilty—he was acquitted—and we were led to believe there was no truth in it. Now I got all of these people asking about why my daughter is there, telling me, ‘All of that, the charges against Kelly, was true.’ Well, how come you didn’t tell me that before?” said Theresa, the mother of one of the girls referred to in the Buzzfeed interview.
Kelly has settled out of court with numerous accusers. The legal battles that Kelly has had over the years and the way they haven’t really affected his career are represented by the above comments. Much of the public, and even Kelly himself, seems to overlook the alleged wrongdoing. A now legendary episode of “The Boondocks,” “The Trial of R. Kelly,” is a perfect example of this effect. The prophetic episode of this adult cartoon details how hypnotized the public really was with R. Kelly the singer, and what it allowed him to get away with, specifically from the 2008 acquittal. How long this remains the case, only time will tell, but the current drama suggests this is starting to change.
Kelly has mostly managed to evade directly answering any questions regarding potentially illegal or at least immoral conduct. A highly revealing GQ interview suggests that his music precedes him. It also reveals that there are intense psychological restraints at play deep in R. Kelly’s mind that allow him to evade answering the tough questions within himself, as well. But as far as the public is concerned, it could be that R. Kelly has just now reached the point where fame and a fanbase can no longer serve as a bubble of safety.
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