A woman who claims she was a victim of R&B singer R. Kelly, who has been the subject of reports and now a new documentary series about how he allegedly runs an abusive sex cult, will be speaking publicly on Monday at a press conference. The woman will be accompanied by her mother and her attorney Gloria Allred, who intends “to respond to threats and retaliation by R. Kelly” against her client, according to an announcement from Allred’s firm. The press conference is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. ET in New York City. Watch live in the player above.
The mother of a second woman claiming to be a victim of R. Kelly is also expected to be in attendance, speaking on behalf of women who claim to have fallen prey to the superstar.
The Lifetime miniseries, Surviving R. Kelly, aired earlier this month, exploring “rumors of abuse, predatory behavior, and pedophilia,” according to the cable network’s description. This followed a 2017 report by BuzzFeed News, which focused on how the singer allegedly kept women at his properties under bizarre and controlling conditions after allegedly luring them with promises of aiding their careers. The women described in that report were all of age, so while their families may have been upset, there had not appeared to be any criminal activity afoot.
R. Kelly threatened to sue Lifetime before their miniseries aired, but so far that has not happened. Since the airing of the program, law enforcement officials have reportedly started looking into his actions.
