GREENSBORO, N.C. (CelebrityAccess) About 30 people arrived at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina May 11 to protest R. Kelly’s first concert since recent, increased attention on his alleged sexual misconduct.
Weomen’s groups had urged the venue to cancel the concert. In recent weeks, the Chicago-based singer had been disinvited to a Chicago concert and has seen his music removed from promotional campaigns on Spotify and Pandora. Those actions are considered consequences for years of allegations against Kelly, most recently of having “sex slaves” and maintaining a kind of sex cult. The allegations, including a long history of allegedly dating underage girls (and even marrying one, a 15-year-old Aaliyah), plus a trial and acquittel for allegedly taping sex with an underage girl, were featured in a recent BBC documentary.
Protestors criticized arena officials for refusing to meet with declinign to meet with a coalition of weomen’s groups that signed a letter citing the allegations against Kelly, according to the Associated Press.
“It’s important for the black community to stand up and hold him accountable for his actions,” Omisade Burney-Scott, with the Sistersong, a reproductive rights group, told the AP.
Inside the arena, Kelly’s act was described as sexually suggestive, including him rubbing a fan’s cell phone between his legs.
“I’ve been through a lot of (expletive)” this week, he said, according to AP, and thanked fans “for y’all to fight for me all these years.”
“R. Kelly never has been accused of hate, and the lyrics he writes express love and desire,” a statement by Kelley’s management to the AP said. “Mr. Kelly for 30 years has sung songs about his love and passion for women. He is innocent of the false and hurtful accusations in the ongoing smear campaign against him, waged by enemies seeking a payoff. He never has been convicted of a crime, nor does he have any pending criminal charges against him.”
