R. Kelly’s lawyer, publicist, and longtime assistant have all severed ties with the R&B singer, according to multiple media reports. The news comes just after the release of R. Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes, a BBC documentary that examines the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against him — including accusations that he held women against their will in an abusive sex cult.
Linda Mensch, who was Kelly’s entertainment attorney, told BBC on Friday that she “no longer represented Mr. Kelly or his entities.” She said she resigned in February and that it was unrelated to Kelly’s “social life.” Trevian Kutti, Kelly’s publicist, told Rolling Stone he no longer represents Kelly as of April 16. And the BBC reported Diana Copeland, who has been Kelly’s executive assistant for more than 10 years, has resigned as well.
The reasons behind their departures are not known, but Kelly finds himself at the center of a disturbing scandal and allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. BuzzFeed in July 2017 published an explosive story that reported Kelly was holding multiple young women against their will in what their parents described as an abusive sex cult. “R. Kelly is the sweetest person you will ever want to meet,” Asante McGee, who used to be part of Kelly’s inner circle, told BuzzFeed. “But Robert is the devil.” R. Kelly’s first name is Robert.
Multiple women have come forward with allegations about Kelly, including former radio DJ Kitti Jones, who told Rolling Stone she suffered verbal and physical abuse throughout her two-year relationship with Kelly. A woman in Dallas has filed a criminal complaint that Kelly emotionally manipulated her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
For more details: vox.com
