Time’s Up reboots #MuteRKelly campaign and calls for RCA, Spotify and Apple cut ties

[Nergal]

 

AMERICA R&B star R. Kelly is the target of a Time’s Up campaign after two decades of serious allegations relating to sexual assault and grooming of minors.

A Women of Colour subcommittee including film director Avu DuVernay and television producer Shonda Rhimes have called on his label RCA Records, Spotify, Apple Music, Ticketmaster and venues to cut ties with the controversial artist as they reboot an existing online movement #MuteRKelly.

In a statement posted to online magazine The Root, the committee also called for “appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly’s abuse made by women of colour and their families for over two decades now.”

Kelly has been the subject of numerous allegations, including grooming minors as sex slaves, sexual assault and marrying a girl under the age of 18.

The campaign launch comes just days after actor Bill Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault.

The Time’s Up statement outlined a raft of Kelly’s alleged misconduct, including his reported marriage to singer Aaliyah when she was 15. Both artists denied the union at the time; Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001.

“Over the past 25 years, the man known publicly as R. Kelly has sold 60 million albums, toured the globe repeatedly and accumulated hundreds of millions of plays on radio and streaming services,” the committee noted in their statement.

“During this time, he also ... Married a girl under 18 years of age;

Was sued by at least four women for sexual misconduct, statutory rape, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and furnishing illegal drugs to a minor;

Was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography;

Has faced allegations of sexual abuse and imprisonment of women under threats of violence and familial harm.”

The Time’s Up organisation called on corporations including his label and streaming service with ties to Kelly to join them and “insist on safety and dignity for women of all kinds”.

A statement issued on behalf of the singer called the campaign an “attempted lynching of a black man”.

“Kelly supports the pro-women goals of the Time’s Up movement. We understand criticising a famous artist is a good way to draw attention to those goals — and in this case, it is unjust and off-target,” his management said in a statement.

“We fully support the rights of women to be empowered to make their own choices. Time’s Up has neglected to speak with any of the women who welcome R. Kelly’s support, and it has rushed to judgment without the facts.

“Soon it will become clear Mr. Kelly is the target of a greedy, conscious and malicious conspiracy to demean him, his family and the women with whom he spends his time.

“Kelly’s music is a part of American and African-American culture that should never — and will never — be silenced.

“Since America was born, black men and women have been lynched for having sex or for being accused of it. We will vigorously resist this attempted public lynching of a black man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture.”

Kelly has been the subject of numerous allegations over the past two decades.

He was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography and acquitted by a Chicago jury in 2008.

He has been sued by at least four women for sexual misconduct and aggravated assault and last year a group of parents went publict o Buzzfeed with claims he was holding their daughters in an abusive sex cult.

The singer has denied all allegations.

A raft of musicians and actors supported the reignition of the #MuteRKelly social media campaign including Oscar winners Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o, actors Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Thandie Newton, Kerry Washington and America Ferrera.

Singer John Legend, musician Questlove also tweeted support while rapper Vince Staples called out Kelly during a controversial interview at Coachella.

Jack Antonoff, the Bleachers frontman and producer for Taylor Swift and Lorde, claims to have asked his label RCA to drop R Kelly on numerous occasions.

Kelly cancelled a scheduled appearance at the Love Jam concert this weekend as the campaign spread.