Nearly two weeks after he was arrested on sexual abuse charges, R. Kelly is speaking out publicly and denying the claims against him. In an explosive interview with Gayle King on CBS This Morning, Kelly not only defended himself from the sexual abuse accusations, but also reacted to criticism from his peers.
When King asked Kelly how he feels now that artists like John Legend and Lady Gaga have publicly denounced him, he said that he found them unintelligent for doing so.
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“How do you feel about how people view you in the industry?” King asked in Wednesday’s interview. “You know, John Legend has called you a serial rapist. People in the room, some of the top executives were saying he’s over, he’s done, no one will work with him. Lady Gaga … has apologized for working with you. Spotify has pulled you off of its playlist. How does all of this sit with you, how you’re viewed now in the industry?”
“John Legend. Lady Gaga. The interesting thing about this is the fact, working with Lady Gaga. She’s a very great talent and all. And it’s unfortunate that her intelligence go to such a short level when it comes to that,” Kelly replied.
“You know, I have nothing against none of these artists. But I think it’s not professional for them to do that. Because something like this can happen to any artist. Anybody famous. Anybody famous can get accused of so many different things,” he continued, before getting cut off by King.
“I would disagree that this could happen to anybody famous, R. Kelly,” she interrupted.
But the R&B singer, whose full name is Robert Kelly, held fast in his claim. “This could happen to anybody,” he said.
“But people have gone their whole careers and not have the allegations that have been leveled against you,” King said.
Kelly said that it wasn’t fair to be accused of something that he was acquitted of in the past, referring to his 2008 child pornography charges. “We can’t double-jeopardy me like that. You can’t. It’s not fair. It’s not fair to nobody. When you beat your case, you beat your case,” he said.
When King brought up the new allegations against him, which were detailed in the Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly, he maintained his innocence.
“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,” King said.
Shaking his head, Kelly replied, “Not true!”
In another excerpt from the interview, Kelly gets more and more upset about the questioning and 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 in Chicago 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 in order to be released from the Cook County Jail. He pleaded not guilty to all 10 counts of sexual abuse.
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.
