#MeToo in a boycott push vs. R. Kelly

THE WOMEN of Color committee within the Time’s Up movement has its sights set on a new target: R. Kelly.

The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer, who has been accused of holding a slew of young girls in alleged sex cults in his Chicago and Atlanta-area homes, was the target of a protest Monday called #MuteRKelly, which calls for a boycott of the star and further investigations into the harrowing allegations that have plagued him for years.

“The scars of history make certain that we are not interested in persecuting anyone without just cause,” a statement from the committee read. “With that said, we demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly’s abuse made by women of color and their families for over two decades now.”

The statement urged followers to throw their support behind #MuteRKelly, an online campaign that was launched last year by Oronike Odeleye and Kenyette Barnes. The goal of the campaign — an offshoot of the #MeToo movement to empower sexual harassment victims — is to all but erase Kelly from the airwaves.

The Time’s Up statement directly called on RCA Records, which produces and distributes his music, Ticketmaster, which issues tickets to his shows, Spotify and Apple Music, which offer his music for streaming and the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in North Carolina, which is set to host a show May 11, to cut all ties with the singer.

Apple Music declined to comment. Kelly and the others did not respond.