In a newly surfaced Facebook Live video, R. Kelly dismisses the sexual-assault allegations against him, and brags to friends that “it’s too late†for his accusers to end his career. As the #MeToo movement and Time’s Up organization have joined the #MuteRKelly campaign to push corporations to cut ties with the singer accused of sexual harassment and assault, Kelly is seen boasting about his success and blasting his accusers. “I got a million motherfuckers hatin’ me, or 40 billion motherfuckers lovin’ me, you know what I’m sayin’? And I’mma tell you somethin’,†Kelly says in the footage. “I’mma take this musical shit, and I’mma inject these motherfuckers with this musical, beautiful shit.†See the video below:
On Tuesday, a woman named Faith Rogers filed a lawsuit against R. Kelly for sexual battery, false imprisonment, and failure to disclose an STD. Earlier this month, Spotify announced that it would remove the singer, who has weathered sexual-assault and misconduct allegations for three decades but continues to deny any wrongdoing, from its playlists. In response to accusations that the singer holds women prisoner in an abusive cult, his team said R. Kelly has “close friendships with a number of women who are strong, independent, happy, well cared for and free to come and go as they please.â€