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R Kelly Gives First Interview Since Child Pornography Trial

See the transcript here

By Daniel Melia on Wednesday 17th September 2008

R Kelly has given his first interview since he was declared not guilty of child pornography charges.

Kelly spoke to BET journalist Toure during the 30 minute 'R Kelly Speaks' show which at some points made uncomfortable viewing.

The 7 year long case against the singer originally began when a videotape allegedly showing Kelly having sex with an underage girl  was handed in anonymously to Jim DeRogatis at the Chicago Sun-Times.

Although the interview opened with praise for Kelly's music it soon delved into the case.

Here is what Kelly had to say about those questions:

Toure: Let me ask you something real that millions of Americans are thinking about and wondering about you. Do you like teenage girls?

Kelly: When you say teenage, how old are we talking?

Toure: Girls who are teenagers.

Kelly: 19?

Toure: 19 and younger.

Kelly: I have some 19-year-old friends, but I don't like anybody illegal if that's what we're talking about, underage.

Toure: Uh-huh. Some people think that you like underage girls. What do you say to that?

Kelly: Those people don't know Robert. They don't know me. I usually don't get into what people think about me, because all my career -- even before the trial -- people had their opinions about Robert, you know. That's probably because, it had a lot to do with me kind of shying away from the crowd, 'cause I'm always in the the studio, digging deep into the basement all the time of my house, creating music. So when people don't know you, they can't touch you like they could someone else. They seem to form opinions or have thoughts about you that they like to, you know, think.

Toure: Some of the people who've worked with you have said there's an issue here. Your former manager has said publicly there's an issue of concern here. Your brother Carey has said there's an issue of concern here.

Kelly: Issue of concern? What do you mean when you say issue of concern?

Toure: They said that they're concerned that you like underage girls.

Kelly: Let me put it to you this way, man. It's unfortunate that people who don't work for me says that the people that do work for me don't say that, and the people who don't work for me were fired. If you have someone work for you and they're mad 'cause they're not working for you anymore and used to getting a certain amount of money or a certain amount of fame because they work for you, because you're famous, and all of a sudden they mess you around and you let them go -- anything that comes up about you, they're gonna run and say, "Yeah, he did that to me! I knew this, too, about him." But you really can't, you know -- I don't want you, I want my fans: Do not list to the people that was fired. Don't even listen to the people that was hired. Listen to the facts, and get into what you think and make your own opinion. If you're gonna have an opinion about me, have your own opinion of what you think about me. What you definitely don't do is go by somebody that was fired and mad and pissed off about you because they were fired.

Toure: But your brother Carey was not fired. He's your brother.

Kelly: He was fired.

Toure: But he's still your brother.

Kelly: Doesn't matter. He's still my brother, but if he's so my brother [then] why'd he get fired?

Toure: Why did he get fired?

Kelly: I can't get into that. ... Unfortunately, it's like this: When you're me, when you're R. Kelly, everybody wants a piece of you, and if you don't give 'em a piece they'll find a way to get a piece of you one way or the other. I've been blackmailed a billion times in my career -- before the trial, during the trial, after the trial -- I've been sued for stuff that ... ridiculous things. At one point in my life, I was an ATM machine. People would come up and push whatever, and if it don't come out they'll go tell somebody this or they'll go run and say this, run and say that. I'm used to that. I'm, you know -- you don't get used to it. Let me take that back. I'm not used to it, but I'm used to the fact I know people will do this, sometimes even your own family members. I don't hate no one of 'em, but I know a lot of people will be out to get me 'cause I'm very vulnerable, man, especially during a seven-year trial.

Toure: So there's no issue here? They're all wrong, there's no issue here -- that's what you're saying?

Kelly: It depends on who you say "they're all," and what they're saying.

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Comments (4)

  • I agree, leave the man alone!!!!!!
    Tameka, Little Rock USA - Mar 8th, 2009
  • It is nobody's job to judge R. Kelly. Not one of you judges know him personally. You have never hung out with him. He has never called you a friend. You do not have his cell phone number where you can call him up when you feel like. So you don't know him! The only way any of us know him is through his music and talent that we have been blessed to have experienced for the last 17, 18 years. So lets appreciate that, judge him on that because that is the only thing we do know about him that's real.
    Tania Elias, Monee Illinois - Jan 27th, 2009
  • Durty 804 Stop judging R. Kelly. That is not your job. He has been found innocent in the court of law. Remember, we all will have the one and only judgement "From GOD". Peace and Love
    LAW, USA - Sep 17th, 2008
  • OK....... "Chester"
    Durty804, Richmond, Va - Sep 17th, 2008

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