This archive report was first published on 1 October 2021.
On March 6, 2019, Grammy-winning artist R. Kelly arrived at a Cook County courthouse in Chicago, Illinois, for a child support hearing. Little did he know that his fate was about to take a drastic turn.
Fast forward to the present, R Kelly has been convicted of more than a dozen crimes related to the sexual exploitation of underage girls and young women. The crimes date back over 20 years, with some victims being as young as minors.
The details of Kelly's transgressions are shocking, with some victims being imprisoned and forced to seek his permission to use the bathroom. Others were coerced into smearing feces on their faces, with the threat of repeating the ritual if they didn't seem to enjoy it.
One of the most damning pieces of evidence against Kelly was a series of letters written by his underage victims, in which they exonerated him of any wrongdoing. The prosecution argued that these letters were evidence of Kelly's hold on his victims, many of whom were lured into his dominion under the pretext of helping them with their music careers.
Instead of the promised career boost, most of Kelly's victims received the incurable herpes and lifelong trauma. The question remains: what do we do with Kelly's music, which contains hints of his damaged mind and legitimization of his criminal conduct?
As the poet DH Lawrence once said, 'trust the tale, not the teller.' In Kelly's case, his tales appear to contain a dark and disturbing truth.
