Advertisement

R. Kelly denies all sexual misconduct allegations

Click to play video: 'R. Kelly’s lawyer categorically denies all wrongdoing on the part of his client'
R. Kelly’s lawyer categorically denies all wrongdoing on the part of his client
R. Kelly's attorney says the R&B star never knowingly had sex with a minor, sexually abused any woman or held anyone against their will. Speaking with the Associated Press in Chicago on Friday, attorney Stephen Greenberg says the R&B star denies all allegations of sexual misconduct made by women in the Lifetime documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly." – Jan 14, 2019

Through his attorney Steve Greenberg, singer R. Kelly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct involving multiple women and underage girls in the last two and a half decades on Friday.

Kelly, 52, has faced numerous sexual assault allegations since 1994, when he reportedly married the late R&B singer Aaliyah — something that he denied even after having the marriage annulled. Aaliyah was only 15 years old at the time. He was 27. Greenberg has since confirmed the marriage.

A six-part Lifetime docuseries entitled Surviving R. Kelly, aired in January with the intent to expose the countless allegations of predatory tendencies and sexual misconduct levelled against the singer.

The show concluded on Jan. 5 and featured more than 50 interviews, including revealing quotes from former collaborators and victims of Kelly’s alleged sex crimes.

Story continues below advertisement
R. Kelly performs in concert at Barclays Center on Sept. 25, 2015. Mike Pont/Getty Images

READ MORE: ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ ends, but reveals more details of alleged sex abuse by singer

Greenberg claimed that the women who came forward in Surviving R. Kelly lied about their accusations on the count that they never presented evidence to the authorities.

“The allegations aren’t true because he never knowingly had sex with an underage woman,” claimed the attorney in a statement to The Associated Press.

Click to play video: 'R. Kelly accuser says she wanted to ‘speak her truth’'
R. Kelly accuser says she wanted to ‘speak her truth’

WATCH: R. Kelly accuser says she wanted to ‘speak her truth’

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“He never forced anyone to do anything, he never held anyone captive, he never abused anyone,” alleged Greenberg.

Story continues below advertisement

He then admitted he didn’t know the details about most of the allegations, claiming that many young women had “come on to” Kelly with hopes of kickstarting their own music careers.

R. Kelly (L) and Lady Gaga perform onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Nov. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles, Calif. Lester Cohen/WireImage

READ MORE: Authorities ask R. Kelly sex-abuse accusers, witnesses to come forward

Greenberg further admitted that neither he nor Kelly had watched what he refers to as the “disgusting” exposé.

He harshly criticized the Dream Hampton-produced series, citing that, “Some producer went running around and solicited all these people, did a Jerry Springer-esque show and [created] all this uproar.”
Click to play video: 'People protest R. Kelly in Chicago after documentary'
People protest R. Kelly in Chicago after documentary

WATCH: People protest R. Kelly in Chicago after documentary

In defence of his client, Greenberg heavily insinuated that many of the women who came forward to speak out against Kelly were not authentic and had never actually met the singer and were just trying to make money or imprison him.

Story continues below advertisement

He followed up by questioning why some of the alleged victims didn’t come forward anytime sooner, especially after the discovery of a sex tape that surfaced in 2002 of a man purpoted to be Kelly engaging in sexual activities with an underage girl.

The attorney claimed it was all a matter of timing, specifically after the #MuteRKelly campaign and the #MeToo movement.

Demonstrators gather near the studio of R. Kelly to call for a boycott of his music after allegations of sexual abuse against young girls were raised on the highly-rated Lifetime mini-series, ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ on Jan. 9, 2019, in Chicago, Ill. Scott Olson/Getty Images

READ MORE: R. Kelly sexual abuse accusers come forward in Lifetime doc ‘Surviving R. Kelly’

After reportedly threatening to file a lawsuit against Lifetime, Kelly attempted to launch a website discrediting the documentary accusers.

He successfully created a Facebook page, but it was taken down almost immediately. He has still not taken action against Hampton or Lifetime.

Story continues below advertisement

As of this writing, Kelly has not been charged or convicted of any of the recent allegations of sexual misconduct.

The authorities are still asking victims of Kelly’s alleged sex crimes to file complaints against the singer so they can investigate.

— With files from The Associated Press

adam.wallis@globalnews.ca

Sponsored content

AdChoices