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Original poster

Why has R Kelly got away with so much? When will he be stopped?

42 replies

Terfing · 30/03/2018 19:56

www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/28/r-kelly-accused-of-grooming-14-year-old-girl-as-sex-pet-kitti-jones-bbc-documentary

I am so sick of this! Every few months we hear the same stories about this guy. These stories have been around for 20 fucking years!

From the article:

*"The R&B singer R Kelly has been accused of sexually abusing a girl since she was 14 years old.

The allegation – the latest in a string of allegations of the sexual abuse of young women by Kelly – was made, referring to another woman, by former girlfriend Kitti Jones, in a BBC3 documentary, R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes.

During two years of dating Kelly from 2011 onwards, Jones, 34, says she was groomed by him, and forced to have sex with him and others at least 10 times in a “sex dungeon”."*

OP posts:
Lampage · 30/03/2018 20:10

I saw the documentary. Yes, it's been widely known since the 90s that he married a 15 year old but it has never damaged his career.

He's got away with so much abuse it's escalated to him keeping sex slaves and still nothing is done!

It's just like Savile, powerful men get away with abuse. Nothing changes.

I do believe that RK will eventually serve time for his crimes though. He films much of the abuse so the evidence is there. How the fuck has he been allowed to get away with it for so long.

Notwellbitch · 30/03/2018 21:38

I read that after grooming them he sells the girls for sex to people, including wealthy/influential political types. Could explain why he gets away with a lot if it's true. He is an absolute scumbag, yet barely a peep about it. It's weird.

sourpatchkid · 30/03/2018 21:49

Yeah I'm puzzled as to how he keeps getting away with it too. He married Aliyah (pop star) when she was 14 or so about 20 years ago so it's not exactly new either (I believe she later said she realised it was abuse once she became an adult)

He also co produced her song "age ain't nothing but a number" didn't he? I used to love that album but it's uncomfortable to listen to now

Lampage · 30/03/2018 21:56

In the documentary it's claimed he insists women wear loose clothes and they are hit if they wear anything slightly tight. In pictures of Aaliyah and RK she is always wearing loose clothes. If she had lived maybe she would have spoken out. She would have a stronger voice than the young girls from his neighbourhood who he targets.

Original poster
terfing · 30/03/2018 22:19

I read elsewhere that all of his victims are young working-class black women, which may be another reason why his crimes aren't cared about Sad

I bet once he dies, all the usual slebs will be lining up to criticize his actions, but at the moment, they don't seem to care Angry

OP posts:
SophoclesTheFox · 31/03/2018 07:19

It completely boggles me how he gets away with it.

I just don't understand how he's not in prison.

Just - how? There he is, in plain sight, repeatedly grooming and abusing young teenage girls and bragging about it and...nothing.

Wishfulmakeupping · 31/03/2018 07:23

Horrible that he is getting away with it - so ma g people on his payroll though he can afford to.
Targeting vulnerable girls st their school ffs and it still goes on!!
Who on earth would know all this and still want to watch his listen to his music?!

megletthesecond · 31/03/2018 07:26

I don't know Sad. It's regularly over the gossip sites, obviously too much money involved for anyone to bother to speak up.

Wishfulmakeupping · 31/03/2018 07:29

His own goddaughter sick cretin :(

agender · 31/03/2018 07:31

www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40635526

Xenophile · 31/03/2018 08:27

He’s rich and powerful.

He picks his victims carefully.

It’s not illegal to marry a 14 yr old in many US states.

No one in a position of influence seems to care about young working class black girls. Especially as there is an old stereotype that black girls are hyper sexual.

MermaidUnicorn · 31/03/2018 08:41

Because a high-profile court case accusing him of multiple counts of activity with underage girls collapsed due to issues with the way evidence was obtained.

staydazzling · 31/03/2018 08:47

I totally agred with OP, its incredulous reading it all, and Y,y to the misogyny,classism element and racism probably in terms of the lack of action. i wonder if music needs its me too movement.

randomuntrainedcuntowner · 31/03/2018 09:19

Reading on Aaliyah's Wikipedia page it seems that she was "blamed" for the marriage and her career suffered as a result.

Also contains this gem of victim blaming

"Jamie Foster Brown in the 1994 issue of Sister 2 Sister wrote that "R. Kelly told me that he and Aaliyah got together and it was just magic." Brown also reported hearing about a relationship between them. "I've been hearing about Robert and Aaliyah for a while—that she was pregnant. Or that she was coming and going in and out of his house. People would see her walking his dog, 12 Play, with her basketball cap and sunglasses on. Every time I asked the label, they said it was platonic. But I kept hearing complaints from people about her being in the studio with all those men. At 15," Brown said. "you have all those hormones and no brains attached to them."

randomuntrainedcuntowner · 31/03/2018 09:24

A relationship with a 15 year old is not a relationship. It's child sexual exploitation

HarryLovesDraco · 31/03/2018 09:25

He gets away with it legally because none of the victims can/will support a prosecution. He gets away with it professionally because most people hate believing young women over powerful men and would rather believe that the women are lying and continue living in their bubble.
I was shocked to see all those people walking in to his concert past the protesters and not batting an eyelid.

SnugglySnerd · 31/03/2018 09:29

Dh and I had this exact conversation the other day when an R Kelly song was on the radio. Can't understand why he gets any airplay. I can't remember which station it was or I might have written to complain.

Original poster
terfing · 31/03/2018 18:29

Surely it's still illegal, even if the victims don't wish to prosecute?

Sadly, I imagine there will be a lot of horrible stories once he dies, which can't come soon enough in my opinion! Angry

OP posts:
HarryLovesDraco · 31/03/2018 21:17

Police can't pursue a prosecution without a credible witness.

staydazzling · 31/03/2018 23:40

just watched the R Kelly Doc on bbc3 its quite good .

staydazzling · 01/04/2018 10:25

i was alarmed at how the protests outside his concerts were overwhemingly black women, some black men and no white people, i actually said to DH its odd theres no white people. I do wonder because R Kelly Targets young girls from poor black neighbourhoods wider society views him as 'their problem' i could be wrong.

kikashi · 01/04/2018 13:38

Sam Smith wearing an R Kelly T shirt last year - why??? Could not believe it at the time
www.capitalxtra.com/artists/r-kelly/news/sam-smith-backlash-vintage-t-shirt-controversy/

I think because RK (unbelievably) has never been convicted so TV companies, concert venues etc seem to think it's fine to have him on - money wins out again

staydazzling · 01/04/2018 16:10

oh dear very tone deaf of him, The documentary is very well done, i like Benjamin Zand .

Happybunny1994 · 04/04/2018 14:55

I think also a lot of it is money when the girls do go to prosicute r Kelly offers them money. one girl was getting 5k a month to not say anything about her ordeal. to some poor girl or to anyone that’s enough money to support you and some.

TheDukesOfHazzard · 04/04/2018 15:26

It's the plain sight thing that is so disturbing.

It is well known and open that he grooms and sexually exploits young girls. It's almost so open that everyone is, Oh well ok that's just him, or something?

Seems that men who are valued for what they do (sport / music / tv / whatever) are pretty much untouchable.