R. Kelly's ex-girlfriend says he abused her, forced her into sexual acts
An ex-girlfriend is bringing forth more accusations against singer R. Kelly, who was the subject of a lengthy BuzzFeed report in July that claimed he was holding women against their will in a sex "cult."
Kitti Jones, who dated Kelly from 2011 to 2013, accuses the singer of beating her, withholding food from her and forcing her to engage in sexual acts with other women while he recorded them. Jones also alleges that Kelly made her live with two of his other girlfriends while he constantly monitored them with security cameras.
Jones told Rolling Stone she had been living with Kelly for less than a month before she confronted him in November 2011 about the video that was at the center of his child pornography trial. She said he kicked her multiple times and slapped her across the face repeatedly.
"I was putting my hand over my face and telling him I was sorry," Jones says. "He would start kicking me, telling me I was a stupid b***h [and] don't ever get in his business."
Jones also said that later she was housed with other girlfriends and they were not permitted to leave their rooms without contacting Kelly or one of his employees first. She claimed that she and the other girlfriends were not permitted to communicate with each other Jones alleged that because she often got her phone taken away as punishments, she was unable to have access to food for as long as two and a half days.
Jones implored people to believe the accusations against Kelly and said, "I want them to not be so dismissive towards the women that are speaking out. We're not just rolling over out of bed and saying, 'Hmm, let me just make up a story about R. Kelly today. Let me make it sound similar to something that he's already been accused of and put my own remix to it just [because] I want some attention.'"
Kelly responded through a spokesperson and told Rolling Stone, "Mr Kelly is aware of the repeated and now evolving claims of [Ms Jones]. It is unfortunate that Ms Jones, after public statements to the contrary, is now attempting to portray a relationship history with Mr Kelly as anything other than consensual involvement between two adults. As stated previously, Mr Kelly does not control the decision-making or force the actions of any other human being, including Ms Jones, by her own admission. Any claim of wrongdoing of any kind or of mistreatment of any woman by him is false, ill-motived and defamatory."
In July, a disturbing BuzzFeed story stated that Kelly was holding several women in a sex cult and quoted three sets of unnamed parents who said they had lost contact with their daughters. The parents claimed that Kelly controls the daily routines of the women, including what they wear and eat. The article also claimed that Kelly keeps several women in homes in Atlanta and Chicago, where he allegedly physically and verbally abuses them and films their sexual encounters with him. They are reportedly not permitted to leave the homes without permission.
One of the alleged victims -- whose parents held a press conference to say their daughter is being held against their will by Kelly -- talked to TMZ in a video call to say she was "totally fine."
"I'm in a happy place with my life," said Joycelyn Savage. "I'm not being brainwashed or anything like that. It just came to a point where it definitely has gotten out of hand. I just want my parents to know and everyone in the world to know I'm totally fine."
The BuzzFeed report said that the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer initially promised to help the young women with their music careers before taking them into captivity.
In 2008, a Chicago jury found Kelly not guilty of 14 counts of making child pornography after a videotape emerged allegedly showing him having sex with a 14-year-old girl. The charges included seven counts of videotaping the acts, and seven counts of producing child pornography.