Exclusive: R. Kelly opponent speaks out, says “dangerous” man deserves jail
The person who created a petition calling for an upcoming R. Kelly concert to be canceled said they did so because they think he is a dangerous person who should be incarcerated. Speaking exclusively to the NL Times, the initiator had quickly collected over two thousand signatures from people who agree that the controversial singer’s show in Amsterdam should be scrapped.
To protect the petition initiator’s identity, the NL Times is changing the person’s name to “Chantall” for the purpose of this report.
Chantall cut right to the point over the telephone and by email, saying in no uncertain terms that she thinks R. Kelly “should be in jail.” Kelly is facing renewed scrutiny after more allegations claiming he sexually abused women and underage girls, and abused his own position of power over females, were shown in documentary miniseries “Surviving R. Kelly”.
“He is a sick bastard, that rapes and uses girls for sex,” Chantall believes. She said she was offended that he would be allowed to visit The Netherlands to perform at The Box.
Some 2,082 people signed that petition before Chantall took it offline, the site Petities24.com confirmed to NL Times. She posted a message saying she wanted to remain anonymous as the reason for deleting the petition.
“I deleted it because too many media [outlets] are talking about it and I want to stay anonymous,” she told the NL Times. She refused to reply to multiple requests for an interview from reporters because she was concerned about how she would be portrayed, and feared reprisal from R. Kelly himself because of accusations that he has taken advantage of his fame to the detriment of others.
“This man has to be in jail. He is dangerous for women he abuses, and did abnormal things with women and girls under the age of 15,” Chantall said. "This artist sexually abused and raped many young ladies, and used sex slaves for his own pleasure; many people do not want this man to appear,” a statement attached to the petition noted.
Over the bulk of the last two decades, Kelly was repeatedly the subject of rumors claiming he enslaved women in a sex cult.
Kelly raised eyebrows early in his career when he entered into an unlawful marriage with R&B singer Aaliyah in 1994. She was 15 at the time, though a purported marriage certificate filed in Cook County, Illinois, presented her age as 18. Her parents took measures to end the marriage months later.
At the time Kelly was 27, and denied knowing Aaliyah’s true age, though video uncovered by TMZ this week suggests otherwise.
In 2002, Kelly was arrested on allegations related to a videotape that allegedly showed a man having sexual contact with an underage girl. He was brought to trial on 14 counts of child pornography, but a jury acquitted him in 2008.
He has denied all allegations in the years following the 2002 arrest.