Long overdue. It’s tragic to me how effectively R Kelly’s team pushed his trial and the allegations against him out of the public mind, because anybody who followed the trial and investigative journalism surrounding the allegations of sexual predation was, shall we say, left with serious and grave questions about his innocence long after the “golden shower incident” had left media attention.
4
R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Les Moonves, Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reilly - these predators were allowed to continue their disgusting and unlawful behavior because of one reason - money; as long as these sex offenders were able to bring in the money, their corporate sponsors, employers, advertisers, and others aided and abetted these creeps.
Perhaps what's needed is criminal charges brought not only these individuals, but also against the leadership of corporations who knew, but refuse and failed to do anything to stop these men.
17
This is sadder for the fact that, in an era when many records consist of people talking over computer sounds and looped snippets of other people's music -- and where "live" often comprises clicking the start button on a MacBook -- this creepy (so it seems) dude is also a genuinely gifted singer and musician. It's really a shame.
3
This is double jeopardy, this man has been cleared and y'all people still harping on something the he was found not guilty on, and these women lied and the parents wasn't being parents to thier kids, because me as a parent of 3 I know what my kids are doing and who they seeing and as a woman no man is going to tell me what to do and I don't care who you are, and if I see something wrong I'm going to speak about it to someone, and people who was in company who knows and see what was happening and didn't say nothing is just as bad if he did do it because they wasn't saying nothing, I will always listen and play and support his music, everyone is not perfect, so y'all need to check everyone past with a fine tooth comb, this is just my opinion
4
What creeps, including Russell. A real professional, blaming the media and the women, instead of taking responsibility, like a real man. Who else does this? Donald Trump. And anyone who does sign Kelly faces the same backlash.
4
I'm so happy the mob was there in the room. No-one condones sexual assault but may I remind the braying know-it-alls that accusations of a crime are not the same as proof of a crime.
1
Good riddance . I will take character over talent any time.
8
“After years of profiting from R. Kelly, despite their knowledge of his sexual abuse of black girls, Sony’s RCA is finally acting,” Arisha Hatch of the group Color of Change said in a statement.
— Shouldn't at least some of her ire be directed toward the many people (many women and especially women of color) who purchased R. Kelly's work?
@J.Michael: since you bring it up, shouldn’t the republicans expel King from Iowa who is openly a minority hating white nationalist?
2
What about his enablers? When will they be called out? Got to be a long list...
7
From what I remember reading years back, Kelly seemed to practically employs a small industry to keep his "vertically integrated" (NPI) sociopathic semi cultish empire running. The strangest things can happen when large amounts of power and money accumulate without any meaningful checks and balances. (The Florida DA "losing" evidence was absurd, so is a young alleged victim of abuse animatedly not wanting to testify.)
I understand what Kelly's lawyer's duty is, but he speaks in such a way that it sounds as if he's been acting above the law for so long that he truly views this episode with the label as just a minor hiccup, and fully expects to resume business as usual at the R.Kelly Pedophilia Circus and Funhouse. There's has to be more than just a list of enablers--in fact I'd expect a very large org chart.
2
In the meantime multiple white artists and priests get the "statute of limitations" pass and are still working in their field. I guarantee you Weinstein won't do a fraction of the time Bill Cosby is doing.. I never liked him but this is more proof that the #metoo movement is racist and backed by people with puritan views. Being a freak is not illegal if all participants are willing. It is also time people realize their daughters have sex and some can be as freaky as R. Kelly.
1
If this man is.such a monster, and been for so long, where are the Legal Charges! I'm afraid MeTo...Done went to far! You are playing with everything this man has worked for, over what I see as willing participants words.
They were Nobody's now they have 15 mins of Fame@ this man expense!
Not cool, not right! They sought this dude out, threw themselves at him, or they moma or family gave them!
That's why y'all ain't got a case!
Shame on all you people!!!
Keep your head up R.Kelly
5
Poor Mr. Kelly, just standing around innocently when he became the “casualty” of some annoying twitter campaign.
How about highlighting the concept of accountability? Mr. Kelly is no ones “casualty” but his own. Some men may find the idea of paying for their crimes to be an unforeseen surprise, but the NYTs certainly shouldn’t.
4
I've heard lots of commentators on news shows asking why it took so long when the problems were widely known. Even the NYT is accused of having a blind eye with respect to Kelly.
Two theories: One is that Kelly is black (as were his victims) and some were concerned about being called racist if they promoted the accusations.
The second theory is money. Too many people were making too much money off of R. Kelly.
I suspect both theories have some truth. Theory one would apply to Kelly's media treatment, while theory two would apply to record labels and other stars who performed with him.
Maybe the NYT can investigate this clear miscarriage of justice and explain to us how it happened.
9
RCA drops R. Kelly after he commits the unforgivable sin of dripping in sales.
6
Adding these to his already staggering list of crimes against all that is good in music should put him behind bars for eternity.
I brought the man who raped me by being brutally honest with the police, DNA evidence and his finger prints all over my house. What good did it do? Not a thing.
I live in a thriving Beach community so they didn't want this on their shoulders.
They revictimized me over and over again.
R. Kelly should have been in a D.O.C. jumpsuit for years now. I cannot believe how long this takes. My rapist is now understanding just how KARMA does work.
10
So this guy is obviously a monster with serious problems. AND let’s not overlook all the henchmen and surrounding industry people that it took to pull off this locking up and brainwashing of innocent girls! He could not have done this on his own. Shame on him and anyone that enabled him!
1
Why isn't this criminal in prison? (Oh, yeah, stupid me! We have a felon in the white house.)
He’s despicable!!
Whatever harms or crimes R Kelly may have done can be considered personal matters compared to the " destruction " that has been the negative influence of Rap Music .
This most corrupt ( devoid of talent and artistic creativity ) so called music seemed somewhat innocent at first stealing existing music and adding simple rhymes , but even in the beginning it eliminated dark African featured women for light skinned European features.
Unfortunately, it quickly went from bad to destructive influences by popularizing criminality ( it's OK to sell drugs if you are just trying to feed your daughter ( Biggie S .) and , gun violence ( lit a fuse to the epidemic of black youth killing each other if not being a cause of ) .
But arguably it's greatest harm has been the degradation of women and girls as throw away sex objects for boys and impact on kids having sex at earlier and earlier ages ( 11 and 12 ) as young Blacks especially immerse themselves in those nasty sexual lyrics and videos of almost naked women gyrating like they are having sex every chance they get . If that were not horrible enough the growth and dominance of Rap has disconnected the World from the greatest American Music that was and is R & B and Jazz .
If RCA really wants to do something they should clean up this travesty and insist that artists have some type of talent .
4
Like Congressional Rs and Rep. Steve King, RCA took way too long to acknowledge and act on R. Kelly
1
As soon as I heard about the explicit videotape with a 14-year-old, I stopped listening/buying R. Kelly's music. He's disgusting and the docu-series was disturbing. Thank you, dream hampton.
The number of black, male musicians who didn't believe the women because supposedly, we're always wrongly accusing black men is nothing but a lame excuse and is also infuriating.
2
After decades of misconduct, finally he gets punished in some way. Of course, he's still worth about a million (down from $150 million but from spending like a lunatic, not punishment), and he can coast for the rest of his life if he wants.
It's nice to see when people get punished immediately, like Louis C.K. was, but it makes you wonder how many more like R. Kelly get away with terrible behavior for decades, and in many cases, never get justice at all.
1
Thank you. Better late than never.
#MuteRKelly
3
Lady Gaga took *5 years* to apologize for what she did, and RCA was not much better here. Plus, for all we know, R Kelly might have gotten millions of dollars to leave. Let's just hope the victims finally step forward and the civil (if not criminal) cases mount.
3
%Metoo reminds me of nothing so much as the 19th century incarnation of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. and similar pro Family, religious groups. Until recently-about ten or 15 years ago, members of the WCTU,(Women's Christian Temperance Union), took a break from their ordinary jobs or letter writing and housekeeping to get down and pray to God for the restoration of Prohibition. Prohibition,actually made alcohol consumption more acceptable, easy to obtain (no bars needed licenses, children sold and used, and women,(previously relegated to abstain), became serious consumers of alcohol as a result of the law. So bad were the effects-including helping to cause the Great Depression, that even a majority of GOP female voters decided that the Prohibition law must be stricken from the Constitution. The only such amendment to our constitution ever "re-amended" and struck from the big book.
Men and women will have to sleep in the same bed. We must learn to live with one another-not to "tattle" or carry tales to the headmaster or local media.
Men like Kelly should be condemned for their attempts to call blather, music, not for being bad men; which goes without saying. Kelly will find other company to keep him rolling in dough and etcetera.
In time-Metoo will paint itself into a corner with many organized Churches and numerous other movements attempting to undo human behavior-like the Shakers.
1
What would need to change in our culture for an article like this not to call Kelly a “casualty” of the #MeToo movement?
We would need to be that much more painfully aware and ashamed of the sexism that runs throughout our culture, understand the ways that abuse is strangely and utterly normalized, take girls and women seriously at every single turn, and reform our laws so that people like Kelly’s accusers have a better chance at a modicum of justice.
Even though charges against him are unproven, it should be clear to most of us that Kelly is not a casualty. He is not an accidental hit or tragic fall. Reality is catching up to him, and our cultural reality is catching up to us. We have much farther to go.
100
It’s about time! Let’s hope this is the beginning of some kind of justice.
46
@Juan
Yeah but Justice for whom,
Now let's go after all the other pedophiles, in the church, and everywhere else!
@Juan. It will be just when Lifetime does the same documentary on Romzn Polansky, Woody Allen and Stephen Collins.
1
Considering the nature of stardom these days, many would not even have a chance to be one without their misdeeds, talent isn’t even remotely required anymore.
16
You're absolutely right! However, in this case the star is both very talented and very much a pedophile. He should be looked up and his fans need to find a new idol.
Glad to see one small step toward justice.
41
Can the current charges against Mr. Kelly please be proved, or not, in an actual court?
18
@Mike McGuire Exactly. Let that be his price. What come's next?
@Mike McGuire
That's all in asking!
@Mike McGuire
It is entirely possible that, if brought before a jury of his "peers" Kelly would not be convicted. Did you see the documentary? One of the jurors in his former trial, and older white one, said he voted to acquit because he didn't believe one of the women, not one, of the women who testifed, including Kelly's former wife and the mother of three of his children. Incredible. Most of the people who knew Kelly best believed he had paid off the family of the girl in the sex video not to testify, if you can call a video during which a 14, possibly even 13 year old little girl was coerced to allow him to relieve himself in her mouth. Kelly is way way out there. Listen to the words to the songs he wrote and sings on his albums.
4
If everything reported on this man is true, he deserves to be in prison.
62
@Philip W ... but perhaps first a trial with the burden of proof on the prosecution?
5
@BD
watch the documentary - this isnt a court case.
he is being muted not jailed.
1
They're only now doing something? Proof that money is the only important thing to some people -- this ghastly human had scandal after scandal, but the record company (and other artists) were only too happy to associate with him in the name of riches. Terrible ethics.
56
They should have dropped him a long time ago.
46
Another sexual predator? Who knew that some celebrities abuse their fans?
22
@Tom
In the age before millenials, it was pretty much a given and universally accepted that one of the perks of being a "rockstar" was that you got lusted after and pursued by many girls, some of dubious age. (Remember the Beatles?) This was pretty much the main reason why people learned the guitar.
1
Just now ? After all this time ?
Shame shame shame . This enabling of abusers is what propogates this cancer among mankind . Shame on you !
47
Finally!
Is this a crack in the cement of rape culture?
Bring in the jackhammers
Kavanaugh next..
85
@H. Savage: even after the hearings -- even though Blasey-Ford lives in a state with NO statute of limitations on sex crimes -- no charges have ever been filed against Brett Kavanaugh.
So what precisely do you mean by "next"?
1
Another fine example of the Golden Rule. The people with the Gold make the Rules. Were he not wealthy and famous he would be wearing an orange jumpsuit by now.
123
Too little too late. RCA didn't do this on their own; they had it done to them by the documentary and the repercussions which was that people finally came to boycott the performer and the product.
This is just like the Republicans denouncing Steve King for his racist remarks after years of tolerating him. The Republicans are only denouncing King because the Democrats are the majority in the house and they have to do it first before the Democrats do.
Oh, the beauty of unfettered capitalism.
148
@Susan Murphy
Still gad to see that it happened. Good work ladies! Keep outing the abusers---especially the ones in power!
17