The PR nightmare that has consumed R. Kelly's professional and private life since allegations surfaced that he was the mastermind behind a "sex cult" for underage girls has been as icky as it has been unprecedented, in terms of what Kelly's public history with deviant behavior has amounted to in the past. After his famous "golden showers" incident, which led to the R&B star coming out relatively unscathed, the amount of vitriol directed towards the singer has hit with the power of an Internet tropical storm. However, whether or not the "guilty until proven innocent" approach to his supposed misdeeds can be justified, Kelly's publicist has come out with a statement that vehemently denies any and all accusations that have been made against him.
"The allegations against Mr. Kelly are false, and are being made by individuals known to be dishonest. It is clear these continuing stories are the result of the effort of those with personal agendas who are working in concert to interfere with and damage his career," the statement, given to CNN, read. "Mr. Kelly again denies any and all wrong doing and is taking appropriate legal action to protect himself from ongoing defamation." In response to Kelly's statement, Timothy Savage, the father of one of the singer's alleged captives, said the following: "We do have a personal agenda and that is to see our daughter again. Mr. Kelly has a concert in Atlanta on August 25th. If Mr. Kelly has any shred of human decency, then he will allow our family to see Joycelyn this weekend without any interference."
It's a story that continues to get even uglier for Kelly, with reports surfacing this week that a then-16 year old Jerhonda Johnson was supposedly physically abused by R. Kelly back in 2008. She claims that she was only 16 years old when her & R. Kelly started having a sexual relationship. Not only that, apparently she was given an undisclosed amount to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The woman, now Jerhonda Pace, says she broke the agreement because she fears that other women are still being abused by the R&B star. It's a saga that surely isn't ending anytime soon.
