New York — The Time's Up campaign is taking aim at R. Kelly over allegations he has sexually abused women.
The organisation devoted to helping women in the aftermath of sexual abuse issued a statement Monday urging further investigation into Kelly's behaviour, which has come under closer scrutiny over the last year as women have come forward to accuse him of everything from sexual coercion to physical abuse. Kelly has denied such charges.
The statement was issued by the Women of Color committee within Time's Up, which includes Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay, TV mogul Shonda Rhimes and actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell.
We join the call to #MuteRKelly and insist on the safety + dignity of all women. We demand investigations into R. Kelly’s abuse allegations made by women of color + their families for two decades. We call on those who profit from his music to cut ties. #MuteRKelly #TIMESUP #WOC pic.twitter.com/TYmDRVIH00
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 30, 2018
Specifically, Time's Up is seeking action from RCA Records, Kelly's label; Spotify and Apple Music, which stream Kelly's catalog; and Ticketmaster, which has sold tickets to his concerts. And it is calling for the cancellation of a May 11 concert in Greensboro, North Carolina.
RCA, Spotify, Apple Music and Ticketmaster didn't immediately respond to email requests placed late Sunday night.
The Time's Up letter was addressed to women of colour. It started by saying, "We see you. We feel you. Because we are you."
It continued: "For too long, our community has ignored our pain. The pain we bear is a burden that too many women of color have had to bear for centuries. The wounds run deep. As Women of Color within Time's Up, we recognize we have a responsibility to help right this wrong. We intend to shine a bright light on our WOC sisters in need."
Time's Up cited Bill Cosby's conviction last week for sexual assault as a step in the right direction but said it was "just a start."
The organisers of the #MuteRKelly movement said they were gratified that Time's Up was amplifying their cause.
He has long been accused of behaviour that has ranged from questionable to criminal. He wed a 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994. The late singer had been his protege, the marriage was later annulled and the two refused to confirm that it even happened.
He was later accused of child pornography after a widely circulated videotape appeared to show him having sex with, and urinating on, a teenage girl. He was acquitted of all charges in 2008 and continued to rack up hits and sell out stadiums around the country.
In recent years, as more women have come forward to allege misconduct, protests against Kelly have increased.
A woman told Rolling Stone last year that she was in a long-term relationship with the singer that was sexually and physically abusive. Parents claimed their daughter was being held by Kelly as part of a sex cult but their daughter, who was of age, denied their claims. And recently a woman in Dallas filed a lawsuit against the singer claiming he gave her a sexually transmitted disease, and she claimed he was grooming her to be a part of a sex cult.
Kelly has denied all allegations against him.
An appearance at a concert in his native Chicago scheduled for Friday was canceled after protests. In a Twitter post on Sunday to his fans, Kelly said he was looking forward to his May 11 concert and had no idea why his Chicago appearance was scrapped.
"I never heard of a show being canceled because of rumors, but I guess it's a first time for everything and I apologize to you guys, and in the meantime, I'm going to try and get to the bottom line of it, as far as my lawyers are concerned," he said in a video.
🚨CHICAGO🚨
Wanna party with the King? Join me for my official concert after party THIS SATURDAY @OceanChicago! We about to turn up like only I can! If you want to see me this is where I’ll be! See you at the party. #KellzInTown #FiestaFiesta pic.twitter.com/C781WrnvO6
— R. Kelly (@rkelly) May 1, 2018