New claim against R. Kelly
Woman alleges she was assaulted when she was 13
CHICAGO A fresh allegation has been made against embattled R&B singer R. Kelly, this one by an unnamed woman who says he sexually assaulted her when she was 13 and later infected her with herpes.
Police in Detroit are investigating the woman’s claims. She says she and Kelly had sex at a hotel in the city in December 2001 and a few weeks later at a recording studio. The woman says she visited Kelly at his home over the next four years, eventually contracting herpes from him when she was 17.
“We are eagerly waiting to speak to the alleged victim,” Detroit police chief James Craig told CBS News.
Meanwhile, newly jailed Kelly blames his ex-wife for “destroying ” his reputation and others for stealing his money.
Kelly says he went to his bank for the first time by himself only about three weeks ago and discovered he had just $350,000 left, from what should have been millions. (Figures in U.S. dollars.)
Kelly, one of the bestselling music artists of all time, told CBS This Morning in a second interview that aired Thursday that other people had stolen from his accounts and he was “tired of not knowing where my money was.”
He later acknowledged: “A lot of it’s on me.”
A Chicago judge sent Kelly to jail Wednesday after he said he couldn’t afford to pay $161,000 in back child support. Supporters are working to get Kelly out of jail by next week, publicist Darrell Johnson told reporters.
Kelly spent a weekend in jail last month before bond was posted for him after Chicago police charged him with sexually abusing three girls and a woman. He faces 10 counts of sexual abuse, nine of those relating to alleged victims who were between 13 and 17 at the time.
Kelly says when he went to the bank he told a bank teller to start a new account. He says he was indicted the next day but couldn’t access his money because the account needed a few days to clear.
In the second TV interview broadcast Thursday, Kelly asks: “How can I pay child support if my ex-wife is destroying my name and I can’t work?” Kelly shouted and cried about his financial situation and his relationship with his three children.
He says ex-wife Andrea Kelly was lying when she alleged he had abused her. He says he has “zero” relationship with his children, but says he knows they love him.
In the CBS interview, Gayle King also spoke with two women whose families say the singer is controlling them.
Azriel Clary, 21, and Joycelyn Savage, 23, live with R. Kelly and said they are in a relationship with him.
“A very strong relationship,” Savage said.
“We all are a family, all together,” Clary said.
Clary became defensive when King asked if they were in a threeway sexual relationship with Kelly.
“I would never share with no one what I do in or outside of the bedroom,” Clary said to King. “And as a woman (I’m) sure you would not either.
“There are people all over the world who have multiple girlfriends,” Clary said. “It’s no different.”