R. Kelly Denies Sexual Abuse Allegations in Explosive 'CBS This Morning' Interview

R. Kelly continues to deny the 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse against him, one week after [...]

By Jose Bastidas

R. Kelly continues to deny the 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse against him, one week after being released from a Chicago jail.

The R&B singer, whose full name is Robert Kelly, broke his silence on the charges in a heated CBS This Morning interview with co-host Gayle King set to air Wednesday morning.

"They are still talking about you with underage girls. Do you still sit here and say you have never been with underage girls? Can you really say that?" King asks Kelly in an excerpt from the conversation.

"I sit here and say this: I had two cases back then that I said in the beginning of the interview that I would not talk about because of my ongoing case now," Kelly responded.

He added: "Fair enough, but I will tell you this: people are going back to my past, OK? That's exactly what they're doing. They're going back to the past, and they trying to add all of this stuff now to that. To make all of this stuff that's going on now feels real to people."

King then pressed on the subject, telling the singer that the past was relevant when it comes to the accusations against him.

"Absolutely, no it's not," Kelly said. "Because for one I beat my case. When you beat something, you beat it."

"You were acquitted," King recalled of Kelly's 2008 child pornography charges.

"We can't double-jeopardy me like that," Kelly said. "You can't. It's not fair. It's not fair to nobody. When you beat your case, you beat your case."

King then mentioned that she wasn't referring to that case, but rather the new allegations.

"I'm talking about the other cases where women have come forward and said: 'R. Kelly had sex with me when I was under the age of 18. R. Kelly was abusive to me — emotionally and physically and verbally. R Kelly took me to a black room where unspeakable things happened.' This is what they're saying about you."

Kelly, shaking his head, replied, "Not true!"

"These aren't old rumors," King said.

Kelly again stated: "Not true. Whether they're old rumors, new rumors, future rumors, not true."

In another excerpt from the interview, Kelly gets more and more upset about the questioning and he lashes out at King.

"Stop it. You don't quit playing! Quit playing! I didn't do this stuff! This is not me! I'm fighting for my f—ing life!" he said.

Kelly was charged on Feb. 22 in a grand jury indictment with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving four victims, three of whom were minors. The next day the singer surrendered to police and a bond court judge set his bail at $1 million, requiring Kelly to pay 10 percent.

Kelly's next court date is set for March 22. CBS This Morning will air the interviews Wednesday and Thursday starting at 7 a.m. ET on CBS.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of