R Kelly breaks down in first interview since sexual assault charges

·Contributor

6 March 2019 at 6:09 am

R Kelly broke down in tears before exploding with anger as he denied sexually abusing underage girls in his first interview since being charged.

The 52-year-old R&B singer was arrested last month after being charged for the sexual assault of four women, and he is now out on bail as he awaits trial.

Speaking to CBS’ Gayle King, Kelly said he “didn’t do this stuff” and that he is “fighting for my f***ing life” in wake of the allegations.

Asked by King if he held women against their will, Kelly replied: ““That’s stupid. Quit playing. I didn’t do this stuff.

“Use your common sense. Forget the blogs, forget how you feel about me. Hate me if you want to, love me if you want. But just use your common sense.

“How stupid would it be for me, with my crazy past and what I’ve been through… ‘oh right now I just think I need to be a monster, and hold girls against their will, chain them up in my basement, and don’t let them eat, and don’t let them out’,” he said sarcastically.

R Kelly broke down in tears as he claimed he was ‘fighting for his life’

When King persisted with her line of questioning, Kelly angrily responded: “Stop it. Quit playing! Quit playing! I didn’t do this stuff! This is not me!”

He then broke down in tears as he said: “I’m fighting for my f****** life.”

Back in 2008, Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges. He was accused of making a 27-minute sex tape with an underage female, but his defence team were able to convince the jury that the identity of the girl was not conclusive.

Kelly added in his interview: “For one, I beat my case. When you beat something you beat it. You can’t double jeopardy me like that. It’s not fair.”

Responding to Kelly’s double jeopardy comment, Michael Avenatti, lawyer to two of the accusers, said on Twitter: “He fails to understand that it doesn’t matter `how long ago’ it happened. And he also has no clue as to how `double jeopardy’ works.”