Notable R&B star R. Kelly has been accused of keeping a number of women in homes in Chicago and Atlanta as members of a sex-obsessed, abusive cult.
These allegations were made against Robert Sylvester Kelly by former members of his inner circle and parents of girls as young as 19 who are with him, Buzzfeed reports.
The Buzzfeed report alleged that Kelly keeps at least six women, all of legal age, on a pair of his properties rented in Chicago and Atlanta. The ‘guest houses’ where the women are kept are near his home in suburban Atlanta, and his apartment at Trump Tower in Chicago.
There, he dictates what they eat, how they dress, when they bathe, when they sleep and how they engage in sexual encounters, which he reportedly records.
‘No. You have to ask for food. You have to ask to go use the bathroom… [Kelly] is a master at mind control… He is a puppet master,’ Mack, who worked as the singer’s assistant, told the website.
The women must adhere to a certain set of “rules” or face punishment. Kelly allegedly issues the women new cell phones and any communication with their parents is considered a breach of the rules. In many cases, the women have cut off all communication with their families, the report says.
The website spoke to Cheryl Mack, Kitti Jones, and Asante McGee – all former members of Kelly’s entourage – about the sort of treatment endured by young women who find themselves pulled into the singer’s orbit.
“R. Kelly is the sweetest person you will ever want to meet,” said Asanta McGhee, one of Kelly’s former employees. “But Robert is the devil.” (Kelly’s birth name is Robert Kelly.)
Mack told Buzzfeed many of the young women are sucked in by the singer because they think: ‘This is R. Kelly, I’m going to live a lavish lifestyle’.
Kelly has not responded to the allegations. His Chicago lawyer Linda Mensch responded to Buzzfeed in an email, writing, “We can only wonder why folks would persist in defaming a great artist who loves his fans, works 24/7, and takes care of all of the people in his life.”
“He works hard to become the best person and artist he can be. It is interesting that stories and tales debunked many years ago turn up when his goal is to stop the violence; put down the guns; and embrace peace and love. I suppose that is the price of fame. Like all of us, Mr. Kelly deserves a personal life.”
Kelly has a history of alleged sexual misconduct. In 2003, he was arrested for 12 counts of possession of child pornography after police searched his home in Florida. At the time, the singer had already been in four lawsuits in which he was accused of having sex with underage girls.
When the pornography case was tried in 2008, Kelly was acquitted on all charges.
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