Through his attorney Linda Mensch, R.Kelly has issued a statement in response to allegations he is holding women in a 'cult' against their will.
The statement reads, via Variety: 'Mr. Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed at the recent revelations attributed to him.
'Mr. Kelly unequivocally denies such allegations and will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name,' it added.
The response comes a day after a shocking new Buzzfeed report alleges the 50-year-old singer is running an abusive 'cult' and 'tearing families apart'.
BuzzFeed reporter Jim DeRogatis reports one mother told the publication that her daughter was kidnapped after the 'I Believe I Can Fly' crooner's concert two years ago, when the singer offered to help her daughter with a music career.
The unnamed mother – who is described as becoming a 'relentless amateur detective' in order to help her daughter – reportedly saw her child last December. However, as the daughter currently lives with Kelly wilfully, she cannot be classified as a missing person.
'It was as if she was brainwashed. [She] looked like a prisoner — it was horrible,' the mother, identified as 'J.' for the purpose of the article, told DeRogatis of seeing her daughter last year.
'I hugged her and hugged her. But she just kept saying she's in love and [Kelly] is the one who cares for her. I don't know what to do. I hope that if I get her back, I can get her treatment for victims of cults. They can reprogram her. But I wish I could have stopped it from happening,' she added.
Cheryl Mack, Kitti Jones, and Asante McGee, who Buzzfeed described as 'former members of Kelly's inner circle' corroborate with the parents' claims, with former personal assistant to the star Mack claiming the artist is 'a master at mind control'.
'You have to ask for food. You have to ask to go use the bathroom,' Mack told the publication. 'He is a puppet master.'
According to the Buzzfeed, Mack, Jones and McGee claim that 'six women live in properties rented by Kelly in Chicago and the Atlanta suburbs, and he controls every aspect of their lives: dictating what they eat, how they dress, when they bathe, when they sleep, and how they engage in sexual encounters that he records'.
The three also claim the women living with Kelly are referred to by the singer as his 'babies' and are required to call him 'Daddy'.
'R. Kelly is the sweetest person you will ever want to meet,' McGee told DeRogatis. 'But Robert is the devil.'
However, this isn't the first time DeRogatis has attempted to lift the lid on Kelly's alleged sexual misconduct.
In 2000, an anonymous source sent the reporter a tape that allegedly showed Kelly having sex with an underage girl, Variety notes, which the reporter gave to the police.
In 2008, R. Kelly was acquitted from 14 charges of making child pornography.
In an interview with Variety on Monday, DeRogatis said that the parents are expected to hold a press conference imminently.
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
