The Mighty Anchor

North Forest Today May 10, 2018 Page 20
· And a BBC documentary released in March featured an interview with a woman who claimed to
be a former girlfriend of Kelly and described a "sex dungeon" in which the singer forced her and other women to
perform sex acts. The BBC says Kelly's reps declined to comment.
For years Kelly has weathered the allegations and continued to record and tour. But the recent #MeToo and #TimesUp
movements, ignited by allegations of sexual violence against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful entertainment figures,
have increased pressure to hold him accountable for his alleged crimes.
After last month's guilty verdict in Bill Cosby's assault trial, some social media users are saying the singer should be
prosecutors' next celebrity target.
What Kelly says
Last month, the #TimesUp movement called on various entertainment businesses, including RCA Records, Spotify
and Apple Music, to stop doing business with the singer.
In response Kelly's manager issued a statement, saying the entertainer "supports the pro-women goals of the Time's
Up movement" and calling the allegations against him an "attempted public lynching of a black man who has made
extraordinary contributions to our culture."
On Thursday, Kelly's management team condemned Spotify's decision to downplay the singer's music.
"Spotify is adopting a new 'Hate Content & Hateful Conduct' policy. R. Kelly never has been accused of hate, and the
lyrics he writes express love and desire," it said.
"Spotify has the right to promote whatever music it chooses, and in this case its actions are without merit. It is acting
based on false and unproven allegations. It is bowing to social-media fads and picking sides in a fame-seeking dispute
over matters that have nothing to do with serving customers.
"Meanwhile, though, Spotify promotes numerous other artists who are convicted felons, others who have been arrested
on charges of domestic violence and artists who sing lyrics that are violent and anti-women in nature. Mr. Kelly falls
into none of these categories..."
What happens next
However, people in the entertainment industry appear to be distancing themselves from the singer. Recent media reports
say Kelly's lawyer, publicist, and longtime assistant have all severed ties with the R&B singer. Kelly's current
manager did not respond to a request for comment.
Now Kelly is facing headwinds as a live performer. A handful of his concerts were canceled last summer after the Buzzfeed
article surfaced. Kelly's Facebook page lists only one upcoming concert -- the Greensboro show.
And protesters there say they are ready.
"The coliseum needs to hold the artist accountable and know they are hosting a sexual predator who has committed
acts consisting of statutory rape and the sexual conditioning of young African American girls," said the letter by the
nine local groups, including North Carolina Black Women's Roundtable, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, North Carolina
Women United and the YWCA of Greensboro.
"We hope the Greensboro Coliseum will do the right thing by canceling the concert, followed by establishing justicecentered
policies and procedures to help plan any future events," they added. "However, if the Greensboro Coliseum
decides to stand on the wrong side of this issue, we will be standing outside the venue to protest his appearance."