R&B singer R Kelly denied sexual abuse allegations in his first public remarks since being indicted, calling accusations "old, new, and future rumors" designed to harm his reputation. The 52-year-old musician told CBS This Morning he was "fighting for my life" during the interview, which aired Wednesday after excerpts were released Tuesday.
"I didn't do this stuff. This not me," Kelly said, emphasizing prosecutors were "going back to my past" to build their case. He cited his 2008 acquittal in a 2002 child pornography trial as evidence of "stupid" legal strategies targeting his history.
Kelly faces 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse tied to acts between May 1998 and January 2010. He pleaded not guilty last month in Chicago and was released after posting $100,000 bail. The charges follow a 2002 case where he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008 after being accused of filming himself with a 14-year-old girl.
The singer also denied 2017 BuzzFeed allegations he kept women as "virtual sex slaves" at properties in Chicago and Atlanta. "I don't need to. Why would I?" Kelly asked, calling such actions "stupid" given his past experiences. The BuzzFeed claims did not result in charges.
A 2019 documentary titled Surviving R Kelly detailed abuse accusations but led to no criminal charges.
