Singer Chante Moore is speaking out in defense of her pal R. Kelly, saying despite several accusations that he has women in a sex cult, the public has rushed to judgment.
“It’s easy to be in a position to judge when you’re not in the midst of what’s going on,” she says on TV One’s “Sister Circle” Thursday, May 10. “Robert has had a way of coming through these things hit record by hit record by hit record. We get mad. We get upset. We want to mute the music. Y’all ain’t muting the music.
“There’s a judgment that happens, but we’re just judgmental people sometimes,” she continues, “Especially because all the media and all the industry is just so quick to attack. But if these young ladies are over 21, they are responsible for what they’re doing.”
Kelly has faced accusations of sexually abusive behavior against women since July when the bombshell accusation that he kept women captive in a brainwashed state emerged. Since then, individual women — some of whom met the star on tour before turning 18 — have broken their silence. Among the accusations, one said she was groomed to have sex with Kelly and others say he controlled their cell phone use when they went to the restroom.
Kelly has consistently denied the claims.
“If you don’t wanna be on R. Kelly’s [tour] bus, don’t get on the bus,” Moore says. “Didn’t just start that R. Kelly had some sexual deviancies in there somewhere. We all understand that that is the truth of him.”
The singer’s “Contagious” collaborator further explained that the women who are invited backstage at Kelly’s shows “don’t go in cuffed” and instead go of their own volition. And while Moore acknowledged that some unfairness arises when the situation isn’t what the woman asked for, she said they “have to be bright, you have to be wise.”
The “Sister Circle” co-hosts agreed, sharing stories about how one fan, dressed in a transparent mesh shirt sans bra, waited to go backstage with Kelly and his entourage with her daughter, who was dressed in a similar outfit. Moore also questioned women who attend Kelly’s concerts and rub his genitals.
“Our standards have to be lifted,” she says.
“Whether it’s true or not, the whole thing is, let’s learn a lesson as we watch from the outside,” Moore concludes. “Pray for them all … pray for R. Kelly — he needs help like everybody needs help — everybody has their vices … When you get rich it just amplifies who you are.”
However, fans were not on board with Moore’s message
“Wow, I think Chante will find that she will be on the wrong side of history when this is all said and done,” a viewer said.
“Disgusting,” another wrote. “How did a segment about R. Kelly transform into women needing to have more respect for themselves? That sounds like two different segments to me.”
“Chante, he don’t get with girls over 21 you know that. You in the industry, you know what’s going on,” another said in part. “I live in Chicago met some people that know him it’s a shame. If it was your lil’ girl you’d feel different. Let the truth be told! That dude got issues [and] never resolved them. He’s living a lie and paying people off to cover for him.… We don’t protect our Black girls, we sell them to the highest bidder. Them past parents need to go to jail.”
“Chante Moore is dumb!!!” one person remarked.
“This is the wrong take,” someone else said. “They may have been foolish and consented to live or be with him, but that doesn’t mean they consented to everything else. I’m so disappointed with Chante.”
