PANDORA’S BOX SLAMS SHUT ON KELLY

The music service Pandora has joined Spotify in distancing itself from singer R. Kelly, who is the subject of mutiple claims of sexual misconduct.

“Pandora’s policy is to not actively promote artists with certain demonstrable behavioral, ethical or criminal issues,” a rep for Pandora said in a statement that did not name Kelly specifically. This followed a report by The Blast that the streaming service had removed Kelly’s songs from its recommendation algorithm as well as all playlists owned and operated by the company. Kelly’s music remains available on Pandora for people who seek it out.

A rep for Kelly (far left) did not respond to a request for comment, but his management team condemned Spotify on Thursday for its decision to stop promoting the 51-year-old’s music, claiming the company was “acting based on false and unproven allegations.”

Last month, the Time’s Up initiative launched a campaign to boycott Kelly’s music using the hashtag #MuteRKelly. A petition on MoveOn.org urging RCA Records to cut ties with the singer, meanwhile, has over 6,600 signatures.