R. Kelly finally responded Friday to sexual misconduct allegations brought against him, accusing the media of using them to “destroy” his legacy.”
The 51-year-old singer said he is “a God-fearing man, a son, a brother, and most importantly a father,” according to the Associated Press.
Singer R. Kelly performs during the Red Light Concert series at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain, November 2, 2013. Picture taken November 2, 2013. REUTERS/Andrea De Silva
He added, that the media “has dissected and manipulated these false allegations” and “perpetuated” the sexual misconduct accusations in an “attempt to distort my character and to destroy my legacy that I have worked so hard to build.”
Earlier this week, Kelly’s attorney called the move to boycott the singer’s music by the #TimesUp movement an “attempted public lynching of a black man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture.”
“R. Kelly supports the pro-women goals of the Time’s Up movement. We understand criticizing a famous artist is a good way to draw attention to those goals– and in this case, it is unjust and off-target,” the singer’s spokesperson shared in a statement to BuzzFeed following the call for further investigations into the singer’s alleged sexual abuse.
“We fully support the rights of women to be empowered to make their own choices,” the spokesperson added. “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.”
Over the last year or so, several women have spoken out against Kelly and accused him of a variety of sexual misconduct. He has denied the accusations.