Lady Gaga has followed through with her promise to remove her ‘Do What U Want’ collaboration with R. Kelly, following the latest round of allegations of sexual abuse made against him.
Today, another protest will be targeting label RCA Records and its parent company Sony Music. Campaigning group UltraViolet has hired a plane to fly over Sony’s Culver City office in Los Angeles, towing a banner saying ‘RCA/SONY: DROP SEXUAL PREDATOR R. KELLY.’ It’s a continuation of last year’s #MuteRKelly campaign.
“It is long past time for RCA to dump R Kelly and take a stand against abuse. Their inaction is beyond shameful. RCA can no longer pretend that R. Kelly’s music can be separated from his violent actions. Kelly uses his fame, musical talent, fortune, and standing in the music industry to lure in and abuse young Black girls. Even some of his songs are literally inspired by the abuses he has perpetrated,” said UltraViolet’s chief campaigns officer Karin Roland.
“Kelly has been able to get away with his years of abuse precisely because his victims are young Black girls who face even more barriers to justice than their white peers. Sixty percent of Black women are sexually abused by age 18, but their abuse is written off because of harmful racial stereotypes that paint Black women and girls as more sexually promiscuous and aggressive than young white girls. We must believe and support Black survivors of sexual violence.” Kelly’s lawyers continue to deny the latest allegations, made in the TV documentary Surviving R. Kelly.
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