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An ex-lover has accused singer R Kelly of physical abuse, sexual coercion, emotional manipulation and, distressingly, using starvation as a punishment, in new allegations reported by Rolling Stone.
The Rolling Stone piece follows a recent investigative exposé by Buzzfeed that alleged the ‘Bump And Grind’ star has been maintaining an ‘abusing and controlling cult’ of young girls and especially aspiring singers.
Buzzfeed reported that women staying in a rented house in Atlanta, Georgia were ‘trained’ to master Kelly’s preferred sex acts, and were monitored around the clock by a blacked-out SUV parked on the sidewalk outside. Their mobile phones were also allegedly seized so they were unable to contact friends or family.
Kelly has strenuously denied the allegations, and his lawyer Linda Mensch released the following statement in response to the Buzzfeed piece:
"Mr Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed at the recent revelations attributed to him. Mr Kelly unequivocally denies such allegations and will work diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name."
Now Rolling Stone has dug deeper, interviewing former Dallas radio station DJ Kitti Jones. Jones, who first met Kelly in June 2011 and dated him until September 2013, claims Kelly forced her to have sex with another women, and threatened to withhold food as punishment for her not bending to his will.
Jones claims her alleged treatment at the hands of the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer made her suicidal.
Kelly’s legal team again denies the new allegations, and in a statement to Rolling Stone declared:
"Mr Kelly is aware of the repeated and now evolving claims of [Ms Jones]. It is unfortunate that Ms. Jones, after public statements to the contrary, is now attempting to portray a relationship history with Mr Kelly as anything other than consensual involvement between two adults. "As stated previously, Mr Kelly does not control the decision-making or force the actions of any other human being, including Ms. Jones, by her own admission. 'Any claim of wrongdoing of any kind or of mistreatment of any woman by him is false, ill-motived and defamatory.’
