R. Kelly sat down for his first interview since he was arrested and charged with 10 counts aggravated legal sexual abuse final month.
Talking with “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King, the R&B celebrity denied having intercourse with underage ladies and portrayed himself as a sufferer a smear marketing campaign.
Through the explosive 80-minute interview at his Chicago house, which aired partly on Wednesday, Kelly turned unhinged, screaming and crying whereas pleading on digital camera. At one level, King stopped the interview so he may regain his composure.
“I’m very drained all the lies,” mentioned Kelly. “I’ve been listening to issues and seeing issues on the blogs and I’m simply drained.”
Kelly, 52, mentioned the lies embrace that he’s holding girls in opposition to their will and that he has a “cult.” “I don’t even actually know what a cult is, however I do know I don’t have one,” he mentioned.
Kelly’s arrest follows the six-part Lifetime docuseries, “Surviving R. Kelly,” wherein a number of girls accused the singer sexual abuse.
“All people says one thing dangerous about me,” he mentioned. “No person mentioned nothing good. They was describing Lucifer. I’m not Lucifer. I’m a person. I make errors, however I’m not a satan. And under no circumstances am I a monster.”
He blamed social media for igniting a smear marketing campaign. “You can begin a rumor on a man like me or a celeb similar to that,” he mentioned. “All it’s a must to do is push a button in your telephone and say: ‘So and so did this to me. R. Kelly did this to me.’”
He denied having sexual relations with anybody beneath the age 17 and blasted these attacking him. “I’ve been assassinated,” he mentioned. “I’ve been buried alive, however I’m alive.”
At one level, Kelly grew emotional as he pleaded his innocence. “I didn’t do that stuff,” he mentioned. “This isn’t me. I’m fightin’ for my fu**in’ life. Y’all killin’ me with this shit.”
He then obtained out his chair and screamed into the digital camera. “I gave y’all 30 years my fuckin’ profession and y’all tryna kill me,” he mentioned. “I’m tryna have a relationship with my youngsters and I can’t do it. Y’all simply don’t wish to imagine the reality.”
A publicist stepped in to calm Kelly and King stopped the cameras so he may regain his composure. “This isn’t true,” he continued. “It doesn’t even make sense. Why would I maintain all these girls? Their moms and dads instructed me, ‘We gon’ destroy your profession.’”
When requested if he wanted assist, he admitted that he was at fault for being so forgiving. “I need assistance. That is the type assist I want. I want any individual to assist me not have an enormous coronary heart as a result of my coronary heart is so large,” he mentioned. “Individuals betray me and I preserve forgiving them.”
When King instructed he was enjoying the sufferer, Kelly insisted he was simply telling the reality.
King additionally introduced up Kelly’s previous as a sexual abuse survivor (He was molested by a member of the family as a toddler). “Any struggles I’ve had in my previous has affected my music,” he mentioned, however denied that his previous had affected his habits.
Later within the interview, he revealed that he was eager about going to remedy. “At this level, I’m undoubtedly speaking about that.”
Kelly was additionally requested about his relationship with the 2 girls he presently lives with, Azriel Clary and Joycelyn Savage. “I really like them and it’s like they’re my girlfriends, it’s like we’ve a relationship,” he mentioned. “It’s actual and I’ve identified guys all my life to have 5 – 6 girls, OK, so don’t go there on me as a result of that’s the reality.”
King additionally interviewed the 2 girls. A portion that interview aired on Wednesday, throughout which an emotional Clary addressed the allegations.
“I’m crying since you guys don’t know the reality,” mentioned Clary. “You guys are believing some fucking facade that our mother and father are saying. That is all fucking lies for cash. In the event you can’t see that, you’re ignorant and also you’re silly.”
WATCH: @GayleKing spoke to Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary about residing with R. Kelly and their estranged relationship with their households. It made them very emotional.
We’ll convey you extra their interview, tomorrow solely on @CBSThisMorning. pic.twitter.com/R9IWQmy8RR
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 6, 2019
Final month, Kelly was indicted on 10 counts aggravated legal sexual abuse involving 4 girls, three whom had been underage on the time the alleged occasions. 9 the 10 counts contain alleged victims starting from 13 to 16 years outdated. Kelly was launched from jail after posting $100,000 his $1 million bail.