OK, so R. Kelly is trying this whole ‘interview’ thing once again and this time, being that it’s in print, he has no fears about being ambushed.
As you know, Kellz last interview ended a bit earlier than expected when he as asked a few tough questions that he wasn’t willing to answer…
[READ: R. Kelly Storms Out of LIVE Huffington Post Interview… (FULL VIDEO)]
Now he’s back with a PRINTED interview where he tackles a few shocking ‘confessions’ with GQ magazine.
In a newly released expos?, Robert Kelly opens up about a number of controversial topics. From Bill Cosby’s sexual assault scandal to Aaliyah, it seems nothing is off limits this time.? Kelly even speaks about being the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a female relative.
Excerpts + video of R. Kelly’s GQ ‘confessions’ below…
This is a story about an entertainer named R. Kelly. It is a story about the remarkable, but also very strange, pop talent he has. It is a story about the difficult places he came from and the ways they may, or may not, have shaped who he has become. It is also the story of a man who has been publicly accused of multiple sexual offenses with underage women, and who stood trial for making child pornography. He was eventually acquitted of that charge, and his career has continued uninterrupted, but for the most part he has evaded even the most basic questions that might help people understand what is true about him.
For this story, R. Kelly agreed to speak about his whole life without restrictions. We met three times over three days in his hometown of Chicago. The second and third meetings were at his favorite cigar bar. The first meeting was on the ninety-ninth floor of the Sears Tower.
R. Kelly chose the Sears Tower as the meeting place for the interview due to his history. He grew up poor on the southside of Chicago under the wings of a single mother, whom he worshiped.
VIDEO: R. Kelly Shares Thoughts of His Mother
Kelly chooses to be totally open and honest in his interview with GQ, and in doing so, he addresses his past in order to reconcile the ghosts of his present.
On being abused by a female relative at a very young age, stating:
?[It happened] every other day, every other week? for multiple years growing up: As far as I can remember, about [age] 7 or 8 to maybe 14, 15. Something like that.At first, I couldn?t judge it. I remember it feeling weird. I remember feeling ashamed. I remember closing my eyes or keeping my hands over my eyes. I remember those things, but couldn?t judge it one way or the other fully.?[Over time, as I got older] I remember actually, after a couple of years, looking forward to it sometimes. You know, acting like I didn?t, but did?
It teaches you to definitely be sexual earlier than you should have, than you?re supposed to. You know, no different than putting a loaded gun in a kid?s hand??he gonna grow up being a shooter, probably. I think it affects you tremendously when that happens at an early age.As I?m older, I?ve only learned to forgive it. Was it wrong? Absolutely. But it?s a family member that I love so I would definitely say no to that one.
To be honest, even if my mom, I saw her kill somebody, I?m not gonna say, ?Well, yeah, she definitely should go to jail.? It?s just something I wouldn?t do.[Editor?s note:Part of Kelly?s forgiveness comes from his belief that the abuse stemmed from ?a generational curse, so to speak, going down through the family. Not just started with her doing that to me.?
R. Kelly shares his opinion regarding Bill Cosby allegations, stating:
Well, my opinion on that is, I don?t know what happened. I?m a fan of Bill Cosby?s from the Bill Cosby show, of course??who?s not???and for me to give my opinion on something that I have no idea if it?s true or not, all I can say is that it was a long time ago. And when I look on TV and I see the 70-, 80-, 90-year-old ladies talking about what happened when they were 17, 18, 19, there?s something strange about it?
If God showed me that they were telling the truth, I would say that?s wrong. I don?t care if it was a zillion years ago. But God would have to do that, because God is the only one can show me that. No man can tell me that. No woman can tell me that. And when you wait 70 years, 50 years, 40 years, to say something that simple, it?s strange. You know why I say that is because it happened to me, and it wasn?t true.
Kelly speaks at length about his relationship with Aaliyah, whom he is rumored to have married when she was just 15 years old.? Lifetime even touched on their brief affair in their Aaliyah biopic.
[FLASHBACK: LIFETIME’s ‘Aaliyah’ Biopic… (WATCH FULL VIDEO)]
When asked about the extent of his relationship with Aaliyah, Kelly states:
Uh, I would describe it as best friends. Deep friends. As far as we both loved music and wanted to be successful. She’s a Capricorn, I’m a Capricorn, my momma a Capricorn, her daddy’s a Capricorn, you know. It was just so much in common with each other.
Yes. I would say I loved ‘liyah.
Kelly still refuses to admit that he ever married the teen superstar and when pressed further to talk about their alleged marriage he responds:
Well, unfortunately when there’s two parties involved in any situation, both parties have to be respected. Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself in a way to respect someone else’s wishes, and to respect someone else’s passing?. People can say, ?Hey, well, he’s just trying to protect hisself.? Well, I have nothing to protect myself from. I’m still successful, and I’ve got an album out now, I’m gonna move on after this interview and go to the next interview and do another interview, and these questions are going to be asked. I did the best I could by writing my book and putting it out there for whoever wants to read about Robert. [Aaliyah is not mentioned in Kelly’s book.] Can’t satisfy everybody, unfortunately. I wish that I could.?
Regarding the June 2002 trial in which Kelly was indicted for making child pornography (a jury found him not guilty), Kelly finally addresses the issue, but seems to get upset.
When a person is found not guilty, they’re found not guilty. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a murder case, it doesn’t matter what case it is, when they’re found not guilty, they’re not guilty. And I think that a lot of haters out there wanted to see me go down.
When asked about the explicit video with the underage girl that almost ended his career, Kelly states:
?[pause] Because of my lawyers, to this day I cannot have those kind of conversations. Being advised by my lawyers in this.?
?Because they could come back to haunt me. Things could come back and they can just restart all over again. And I have to protect myself.?
Though of course you describe in your book a very important moment when they told you to take a plea and you didn’t take their advice.
?No, you know?I tell you this: I believe in my lawyers. You’re not gonna take all advice all the time. But for the most part I’m taking my lawyers’ advice as far as not discussing the court case.?
CLICK HERE to read GQ’s full in-depth interview with R. Kelly.