Director John Singleton Defends R. Kelly Against Most-Recent Accusations: ‘They Made the Decision to be with Him’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnmL2vbeJCA

Director John Singleton doesn’t believe R. Kelly is up to no good with the women he allegedly has in his Chicago and Atlanta rentals and fans apparently agree, judging from the singer’s in-demand tickets. 

“No, he’s not misunderstood,” the filmmaker tells TMZ Monday, July 24, when asked about Kelly, who has been accused of keeping women against their will in a sex cult. “He has a bunch of girlfriends. A lot of people have a bunch of girlfriends. The women that he’s with are adult women and they made the decision to be with him. [They know] what they’re getting into, so I don’t see what the controversy is really about.”

Singleton added he doesn’t believe Kelly deserves to be ridiculed in the way Bill Cosby has been, saying the comedian actor’s rape accusations are “a totally different situation.”

It seems fans agree with Singleton, as TMZ reported ticket sales for R. Kelly: The After Party Tour have remained steady and no shows have been canceled. In fact, some venues have reported an increase in demand, like Detroit’s Chene Park, where Kelly will perform Aug. 5. A July 19 report by TMZ said the show is nearly sold out, and other venues said they did not have any backlash due to the allegations against the singer.

Baton Rouge, La., is the only tour stop so far to show a bit of negative impact, as some ticket buyers have asked for refunds for Kelly’s Aug. 12 concert. Though the singer’s tour may be mostly unaffected, a growing Care2 petition is calling for Sony Records to drop the star from its roster; the appeal is only 3,200 signatures away from its 35,000 goal.

And another woman has spoken out about her experience with Kelly. The unnamed accuser told TMZ that when she was 20, she was invited to Kelly’s home where no cell phone usage was allowed. She was allegedly told to “wear something sexy” upon her arrival and was escorted into Kelly’s bedroom where he asked her to walk like a model and pose seductively. After being given $200 to purchase lingerie, the woman left R. Kelly for good when he allegedly bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.

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