Keke Palmer is the latest celebrity speaking out against R. Kelly after Lifetime Network’s airing of the deeply emotional and controversial “Surviving R. Kelly” last week.
The 25-year-old singer and actress, who has stated that she was close to the singer, watched the documentary this past weekend.
Apparently, Palmer must not have been privy to the many stories and accounts of the singer’s “alleged” perverted and abusive actions that have plagued Black girls and women for the better part of 20 years allegations that Kelly continues to deny.
In 2017, the talented performer sang Kelly’s praises for “encouraging her to think of both her acting and music as two sides of her overall artistic identity.”
After watching the documentary, Palmer took to Instagram to share her emotions with her followers.
“I have spent the last hour crying. As a student of R. Kelly’s for the time I was and having been around his light and understanding the obstacles he overcame as a child to actually be birthed into the musical genius he is today… All to put others through the same darkness he was running from is the most disheartening thing to accept,” she wrote. “Many people experience hardships and do not allow themselves to find freedom through their passion enough to shine a light.”
Palmer continued, “R. Kelly received that grace from God. God blessed him to vindicate his childhood shortcomings and yet still he has slapped God in the face by his actions towards these women. I am hurt and saddened because he could have been a blessing to these women but instead he repeatedly took advantage and that I cannot accept.”
Palmer’s solidarity and support is just one of the many ways Black women and girls have come together in an attempt to get R. Kelly to be held accountable for his actions.
Since the documentary has aired, R. Kelly’s world appears to have started to crumble around him. The state attorney’s office in Cook County, Ill., is also working with prosecutors to determine if they have a case against the controversial singer. The district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., is currently investigating him for the possibility to file criminal charges. Finally, he was also evicted from his Chicago studio where many of the allegations took place.
