Edward Ed Schinik, CFO, Yorkville Advisors

Almost from the moment the gavel dropped and the verdict was announced in the Bill Cosby case, some were already looking for the next celebrity that might go to court on charges related to alleged sexual misconduct.

To this end, gossip publications and talk shows started dropping names, and one that seemed to come up over and over again was R&B singer R. Kelly. The singer has a certain reputation, after having to work through serious PR scandals in the past. Now, he’s being called out by prominent groups within the Time’s Up movement – and PR firms, including 5WPR and Sitrick PR have refused to be hired by R. Kelly. 

The Women of Color (WOC) organization is leveraging social media to try to force the entertainment industry to essentially blacklist Kelly, citing multiple allegations of sexual abuse against women and underage girls. 

The allegations stretch back more than a decade, to 2002, when Kelly was indicted on child pornography charges after he reportedly videotaped himself engaging in intercourse with an underage girl. Kelly was acquitted at trial six years later, but it didn’t seem to matter. The rumors, suspicions and allegations never quite disappeared. 

Then, in 2017, a woman came forward claiming that she’d been in a sexual relationship with Kelly while she was still a teenager. Kelly flatly denied the allegations, and there were never any criminal charges filed. Still, those allegations got traction, mainly due to the impression the public already had about the singer. 

Now, Kelly is being accused of taking part in a “cult” where young women were held against their will. Once again, Kelly insists he has done nothing wrong, that these allegations are false and unfair. Meanwhile, there are a good many people who are not inclined to believe Kelly, chief among them groups like WOC, who posted an “open letter” about the singer on social media. The message read, in part: 

“To Our Fellow Women of Color: We see you. We hear you. Because we are you… For too long, our community has ignored our pain. The pain we bear is a burden that too many women of color have had to bear for centuries. The wounds run deep… As women of color within Time's Up, we recognize that we have a responsibility to help right this wrong. We intend to shine a bright light on our WOC sisters in need. It is our hope that we will never feel ignored or silenced ever again.” 

In shining this light, the WOC seems intent on directing it on Kelly, and they are not alone. After WOC posted the message, other sites took up the #MuteRKelly call, some posting a detailed breakdown of the allegations against the singer, including: marrying an underage girl, being sued by multiple women over statutory rape or sexual misconduct, furnishing illegal drugs to a minor, imprisoning women and other misconduct. Regardless of whether or not these allegations are accurate, many people will tend to believe them based on Kelly’s reputation. This presents the singer with a choice: does he address these allegations and work to change the message, or does he ignore the gossip and hope it doesn’t do any further damage?