GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – A defiant R. Kelly took the stage Friday night in North Carolina, in spite of efforts to silence him over his treatment of women, and had barely begun performing when the bone-rattling background beat stopped playing.
“I’ve been through a lot of (expletive)” this week, he said. He thanked his fans, “for y’all to fight for me all these years.” He said someone had asked him to tone down his act.
And then he launched into his sexually suggestive repertoire. At one point, he rubbed a fan’s cell phone between his legs. He persuaded another to wipe his face and crotch with a towel.
Women’s groups had urged the Greensboro Coliseum to cancel, days after Kelly was disinvited from a concert in Chicago. Spotify announced it would no longer stream his music in its curated playlists. Other streaming services appeared to be demoting his music as well.
Kelly denies abusing anyone and faces no current criminal charges, and his fans weren’t giving up on their R&B superstar.