R. Kelly is accused of running a cult in which he keeps women captive in his Chicago and Atlanta homes, forcing them to provide him with sexual favors and controlling every aspect of their lives.
So stated a bombshell report by Buzzfeed last week, which quoted parents of these women that were understandably concerned for their daughters’ safety.
A lawyer for Kelly has said her client is “alarmed and disturbed” by these false allegations, vehemently denying any such cult exists.
But here’s the thing: something is clearly going on.
A woman named Jocelyn Savage has spoken out in defense of Kelly, claiming she is not banned from leaving his home and is simply staying their out of her own volition.
She explained in an interview with TMZ this week that her own father even dropped her off at Kelly’s awhile back in order for the singer to help further Savage’s music career.
But Savage refuses to state her actual location.
Moreover, a relative of another woman under Kelly’s quasi control tells this same website that Kelly lures his so-called victims in by lavishing them with expensive gifts.
Yes, this person claims, the women are free to leave.
However, Kelly uses a “calculating, methodical process to groom naive girls” into becoming dependent on him. He also takes their smartphones, this person alleges.
Are Kelly’s actions illegal? Maybe not.
Do we know for certain what is taking place inside his residences? No.
Is Kelly one effed up dude with serious character issues who has been accused on numerous occasions of sexual misconduct, nearly always with women much younger than he is? Yes.
Along this latter line, a woman who refers to herself as “Kim” spoke to Jezebel about the entire cult rumor and outlined what goes on in R. Kelly’s shady universe.
She says she met Kelly about a year ago and has flown out to spend time with him on about 10 occasions. They’ve carried on a sexual relationship.
As a self-described “sometime member of his entourage,” this is what Kim has to say about Kelly’s harem:
HOW HE CONTROLS HIS WOMEN:
When we’re out, we’re not allowed to look at anyone. We have to keep our heads down. If we’re back in his studio sitting on the couches and he has friends across the room at the bar we can’t look at each other or communicate with each other…
If we’re in an Uber and we chat up the driver we’re supposed to tell him this girl did this or that. He’s very controlling and manipulative. He likes to be in control.
WHAT CAN THE GIRLS SAY TO EACH OTHER?
No compliments are allowed, Kim says.
I was looking at [a woman who walked by while out to lunch once] and he kicked my chair because I was looking up. Just super possessive. It’s a strange kind of dynamic.
HE MAKES SEXUAL DEMANDS:
He never makes threats, but the girls are so eager to do whatever he wants. He’ll wake us out of a dead sleep and say to this girl, ‘Suck my d-ck,’ or to these two girls, ‘Kiss on each other,’ and immediately without thought they jump right to it. It’s just bizarre. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen before honestly.
THIS IS A TYPE OF BRAINWASHING:
It’s not non-consensual, I guess. But I don’t know if they even realize the situation they’re in is wrong.
HIS PUNISHMENTS INCLUDE…
… the following, apparently?
We’re just going to copy Jezebel’s full entry for this example because it needs to be spelled out in detail:
Kim said that she and the girl were instructed by Kelly to ‘take off your clothes and act like you miss each other.’
He got out his iPad and started filming, she said, but was dissatisfied by the 19-year-old’s performance. He told Kim to sit on the couch and took the 19-year-old into another room.
Twenty minutes later, he called Kim in. Kim knocked in the proper way, then walked in to find the younger girl nude except for one of Kelly’s bigger pieces of jewelry, a heavy chain.
He had his iPad recording and she was naked except for a big chain and she was running laps from one end of the room to the other. She was running laps around the room and apologizing.
She kept saying, ‘I’ve been bad, I’m sorry Daddy,’ shit like that.
And I’m standing there and she starts apologizing to me.
No one from R. Kelly’s team has responded to these latest allegations.
We’ll let you know if they ever do.
