Documentary puts new attention on R. Kelly sex allegations

By Russel Contreras and Michael Tarm

Associated Press

R. Kelly, one of the top-selling recording artists of all time, has been dogged for years by allegations of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls — accusations he and his attorneys have long denied.

But an Illinois prosecutor’s plea for potential victims and witnesses to come forward and new protests have sparked hope among some advocates that the R&B star might face criminal charges.

One of his daughters also released a lengthy statement addressing the myriad accusations of misconduct against her father.

Buke Abi, born Joann Kelly, cited her father’s “life decisions” as the reason she and her family keeps their distance from Kelly and she showed her support for the accusers.

Abi is one of three children born to Kelly and his second wife, Andrea Kelly. Andrea appeared in the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which revisited old allegations and brought new ones into the spotlight. The documentary aired this month.

Despite the increased pressure from advocates who have protested outside of Kelly’s Chicago studio and demanded that police investigate allegations against minors in recent days, some legal experts and prosecutors say it may be difficult to bring charges. Accusers and witnesses would have to speak out, and even then, prosecutors could have a hard time winning a conviction.

The Lifetime series follows the BBC’s “R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes,” which was released last year. It alleged that Kelly was holding women against their will and running a “sex cult.”

Activists from the #MeToo and #MuteRKelly social media movements have seized on the renewed attention to call for streaming services to drop Kelly’s music and promoters not to book any more concerts.

The allegations extend beyond Illinois. A lawyer representing an Atlanta-area couple who appeared in the Lifetime documentary said Georgia prosecutors have reached out to him. Attorney Gerald Griggs represents Timothy and Jonjelyn Savage, who have said repeatedly that Kelly has brainwashed their daughter and kept her from contacting them.

Despite the accusations that span decades, the star singer, songwriter and producer who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side has retained a sizable following.

Kelly broke into the R&B scene in 1993 with his first solo album, “12 Play,” which yielded such popular sex-themed songs as “Bump N’ Grind” and “Your Body’s Callin’.” Months later, the then-27-year-old faced allegations he married 15-year-old Aaliyah — a multi-platinum R&B vocalist who later died in a plane crash in the Bahamas. Kelly served as the lead songwriter and producer for Aaliyah’s 1994 debut album, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.”

Kelly and Aaliyah never confirmed the marriage, although Vibe magazine published a copy of the purported marriage license. Court documents later obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times showed Aaliyah admitted lying about her age on the license. In May 1997, she filed suit in Cook County, Illinois, to expunge all records of the marriage, court documents showed.

A judge later agreed to seal the marriage records. Kelly won three Grammys that year for “I Believe I Can Fly,” a song that would be sung at churches and graduations across the U.S.

He has not only written numerous hits for himself but for other artists including Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga. His collaborators have included Jay-Z and Usher.

Still, accusations of inappropriate sexual misconduct followed Kelly for much of his career.

In February 2002, a 27-minute video surfaced that showed a man purported to be Kelly engaged in sex acts involving an underage girl. The singer was later indicted on child pornography charges and it appeared that Kelly’s career was in jeopardy.

Almost a year later, Kelly was arrested in Florida after authorities found digital images of the singer allegedly involved in sex acts with an underage girl, but those charges were dropped over a dispute on the search warrant.

Both Kelly and the girl denied they were the ones in the video, even though the quality of the video was good and multiple witnesses at trial testified it was clearly them.

In Chicago, the jury of nine men and three women deliberated for about seven hours before acquitting the singer in 2008 on charges of videotaping himself having sex with a girl who prosecutors allege was as young as 13.

After the acquittal, Kelly vowed not to abandon the explicit music that helped make him famous.

Now 52, his hits have dwindled, but he was still able to sell out arenas across the nation until the pressure of the #MeToo movement damaged his reputation and hurt concert bookings.

He settled at least three lawsuits accusing him of having sex with underage girls filed between 1997 and 2002. One accuser said Kelly forced her to have an abortion.

The accusers, all black women, said years after the trial that Kelly kept them locked up and used them for sex at his will. The Lifetime series interviewed women who said they were physically assaulted, had to ask for permission to eat or use the restroom and were taped engaging in sex acts. Some women said they had to escape or be rescued.

Critics suggested that Kelly’s alleged abuse continued and was largely ignored because the victims were black women.

Kelly’s Chicago attorney, Steve Greenberg, said in a phone interview that the allegations in the Lifetime documentary were false.

Libby Hill of the Los Angeles Times contributed to this story.