If you’re wondering why R Kelly, the now 50-year-old Ignition (Remix) singer, is back in the headlines at the moment. Well, allegations of sexual misconduct have long been associated with his name, often in the context of inappropriate relationships with teenage girls. And the news this time around isn’t far from what we’ve disturbingly become accustomed to discussing whenever R. Kelly is back in the news. This time though, the accusations involve a ‘cult’. A cult in which R. Kelly is apparently brainwashing women and holding them against their will.
The parents of one of these women, identified as J. and Tim in the investigation by Buzzfeed News, have told the police that their daughter is ‘being held against her will’. And the claims of R. Kelly running what J. describes as a ‘cult’ seem to have been supported by Cheryl Mack, Kitti Jones and Asante McGee (three women who were once close to the singer) who reportedly said that R. Kelly has rented properties where six women live under the jurisdiction of his wishes – he dictates everything from what they eat to when they sleep.
J. told Buzzfeed that she last saw her daughter back in December 2016. ‘It was as if she was brainwashed. [She] looked like a prisoner — it was horrible. I hugged her and hugged her. But she just kept saying she’s in love and [Kelly] is the one who cares for her’.
‘I don’t know what to do. I hope that if I get her back, I can get her treatment for victims of cults. They can reprogram her. But I wish I could have stopped it from happening’, she added.
Another set of parents who voiced their concerns as part of the investigation explained that they are no longer able to reach their daughter who lives in one of R. Kelly’s properties. The three women who are no longer associated with R. Kelly’s inner circle. said that the women who stay in R. Kelly’s ‘guest houses’ have their phones confiscated in exchange for new phones ‘that they are only allowed to use to contact him or others with his permission’.
Since claims have been made about R. Kelly’s actions and the nature of these women’s stay in his properties, a series of ‘goodwill’ checks have been made by police in Duluth (where two of the houses are rented by R. Kelly), and in Chicago where one woman apparently told the police that she was fine and ‘did not want to be bothered with her parents’.
Nothing seems to have been found yet, so in terms of progressive action, it’s unclear what will or can, happen next. The FBI was also contacted by J. and Tim but, of course, they can’t confirm or deny anything related to specific people or investigations. R. Kelly has denied the allegations and his lawyer gave Buzzfeed a statement which said: ‘We can only wonder why folks would persist in defaming a great artist who loves his fans, works 24/7, and takes care of all of the people in his life. He works hard to become the best person and artist he can be. It is interesting that stories and tales debunked many years ago turn up when his goal is to stop the violence; put down the guns; and embrace peace and love. I suppose that is the price of fame. Like all of us, Mr Kelly deserves a personal life. Please respect that.’
It all sounds unimaginably horrific but of course, at the moment, everything that has been reported remains to be just allegations until any further action is taken. But what's worrying is the context that these accusations come in. R. Kelly indisputably became one of the biggest R&B superstars in the world, and this issue speaks volumes towards the wider issue of the sexist and often sexually focused mistreatment of women, particularly young, vulnerable women looking for a break, in the music industry.
R. Kelly's history with claims all too similar to this says a lot about the reputation that many of us might have previously been blissfully ignorant of before now. He was accused of filming child pornography back in 2008, but was acquitted and it is alleged that he was illegally married to Aaliyah when she was just 15 years old. The culture of abuse of power by men towards young women in the industry still prevails as a huge problem that we can only imagine to span further than what is eventually reported.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.