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*In this #MeToo era, where the Hollywood elite are rejecting Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and Matt Lauer over sexual misconduct — many are wondering how R. Kelly is still touring?
The sexual misconduct accusations against the singer have been public for over two decades. And he remains the most successful R&B artist of the past three decades — selling more than 60 million records worldwide. But some of his concerts have been canceled due to low ticket sales as a result of the #MuteRKelly movement — an effort to silence him and bring awareness to sexual assault.
VICE News Tonight went to R. Kelly’s Detroit tour stop to check in with his fans along with protestors of the #MuteRKelly movement, which started last July after new sex cult allegations surfaced against him. The movement brings to the forefront a unique and nuanced dilemma.
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“Kelly’s loyal fan base, his alleged victims, the #MuteRKelly movement organizers, and even his concert promoter are all mostly part of the same homogenous, in-group: women of color” – per vice.com.
“One of the things that we’ve done in our families is protect perpetrators because we don’t trust the criminal justice system,” said Kalimah Johnson, #MuteRKelly Detroit organizer and founder of Detroit’s SASHA Center. “We protect people who are talented. We protect him. No one’s saying he doesn’t have hit records and he can’t sing. But the problem is that he has a very problematic history with underaged black girls particularly.”
Kelly has been accused of sexual misconduct allegations ranging from 21 counts of child pornography to sex with minors, and rape — all while he continues to perform and release new music. The Hollywood elite clearly still finds him useful in some way.
“I love that in all of these corporate working environments we’re starting to have conversations of consent,” says Nicole Denson of Wayne County SAFE, a center that provides support for sexual assault survivors. “Let’s also think about the music industry.”
This segment originally aired February 23, 2018, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.
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