R. Kelly screams that he's 'fighting for my f--king life' in stunning CBS interview
R. Kelly denied the sexual abuse allegations against him in a stunning new interview airing Wednesday, emphasizing his rebuttal by leaving his seat and screaming at the camera.
The R&B star, who in February was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, angrily declared his innocence on CBS This Morning, telling Gayle King he's "very tired of all of the lies." In response to allegations that he has held women in a "cult," Kelly said, "I don't really know what a cult is, but I know I don't have one."
He conceded he has done "lots of things wrong when it comes to women," but claimed he has never broken the law or had sex with anyone underage, adding that the people interviewed in the recent Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly were "describing Lucifer" — but "I'm not Lucifer. I'm a man."
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The interview took a turn when King pressed Kelly about whether he has held women against their will, with Kelly ranting about "how stupid would it be" for him to do so given his "crazy past and what I've been through." Kelly began screaming, "I'm fighting for my f--king life" and "you're killing me, man," getting up to rant and rave directly at the camera. After the interview was paused so Kelly could be calmed down, he contended his problem is that he has "a big heart" and "people betray me, and I keep forgiving them."
Watch a jaw-dropping clip from the interview below. Brendan Morrow
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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