R Kelly: Woman supports parents' claims of 'abusive cult' where women are 'completely brainwashed'

Report claims women are being held at properties owned by the singer where he controls 'every aspect of their lives'

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Thursday 20 July 2017 08:15 BST
R Kelly has denied the allegations made against him
R Kelly has denied the allegations made against him

Another woman claiming to be from R Kelly's inner circle has spoken out about allegations that he keeps young women in a "cult" where he controls every aspect of their lives.

Earlier this week a shocking Buzzfeed report quoted several sets of parents who claimed that their daughters were living in property rented by the R&B singer.

They alleged that the women were kept at homes in Chicago and Atlanta, where Kelly ordered them to call him "daddy", filmed their sexual encounters, and punished them verbally and physically whenever they disobeyed his "rules".

Kelly has vehemently denied the accusations, while one of the women reported as being "held" by him has spoken out and insisted she is "happy", and "heartbroken" by her parents' claims.

Joycelyn Savage, whose parents have accused Kelly of keeping her "hostage", spoke in a video interview with TMZ where she denied any alleged mistreatment.

However another woman has since come forward and said the allegations are correct, claiming that Kelly has five or six women whom he subjects to constant physical, sexual and psychological control, routinely recording sexual encounters and subjecting them to 'cult-like" behavioural restrictions.

In an interview with Jezebel, the woman, who asked to be kept anonymous, said that the women in Kelly's homes were all above the age of consent and "technically, they can leave".

"But it was like witnessing Stockholm Syndrome," she continued. "All these girls are so nice and trusting and young."

"Kim" (not her real name), said that she liked having sex with powerful men and enjoyed hanging out with Kelly and his inner circle. However she said other girls, who were younger than her, appeared to depend on the singer's approval.

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"All these girls just dote on him," she said. "It's so f***ed up. They're completely manipulated and brainwashed."

She says she quickly realised that Kelly was "very controlling".

"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."

"Kim", Jezebel, points out, was different to the other women in several ways. She was not involved in the music business and so was not reliant on any offers of career help from Kelly, like some of the other women alleged to be involved with him. She was older than most of them, and she was white, where most of the other women were black.

The Buzzfeed report was written by veteran music critic, journalist and author Jim DeRogatis, who has been covering Kelly's alleged sexual misconduct for almost two decades.

He received a videotape in 2002 from an anonymous source which allegedly showed Kelly have sex with an underage girl, which he turned over to the police.

Kelly was tried on charges of manufacturing child pornography but was acquitted in 2008. The singer has settled at least four lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, including with women who accused him of having sex with them while they were underage.

Kelly's lawyer Linda Mensch said in a statement: "Mr Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed by the recent revelations attributed to him. [He] unequivocally denies such accusations and will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name."

Buzzfeed has said it stands by its report.

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