Lanita Carter has decided to go public with her story, as one of the previously anonymous accusers in the sexual-abuse case against R. Kelly. While the other three victims were underage at the time of their abuse, Carter herself was 24 years old. In her interview, she recounts the abuses she allegedly suffered during the two years she worked for him as his hairdresser. She claims the singer tried to force her to perform oral sex on him, and when she resisted, Kelly allegedly masturbated and spit in her face. Authorities later found that Kelly’s DNA profile matched a semen sample found on Carter’s shirt. “This is a release,†Carter said. “I’ve been carrying this since 2003. I have had to sit on a public bus and watch public conversation: ‘Did you hear about what they did with R. Kelly? They need to leave that man alone.’ And I can’t stand up for myself.â€
In a clip from the emotional interview, Carter explains her ultimate decision to come out publicly. “When I finally realized I don’t want to be this victim, I don’t want to be a part of this, every time I tried to pick myself up again, I felt like something on the news brought me back to what I thought I swept under the rug,†she said. “Today — today I say: no more. You can talk about me. You can not like what I’m sayin’ about your favorite singer. But this is my life … This is my truth. This is what I have. If I die tomorrow, I know that I told the truth.â€