#TimesUp leaders want investigation of sexual abuse charges against singer R. Kelly

Rumors have persisted for years now that award-winning singer R. Kelly has a thirst for underage women and commits sexual abuse against women in general. Some women have even come forward and claimed he kept them against their will at times, and most recently a woman in Texas claimed that he willingly gave her an STD. Although no charges have been filed in any state yet, pressure is mounting from the #TimesUp movement for law enforcement to launch an official investigation into the beleaguered entertainer. Recently, he had a home in the Atlanta area foreclosed, and a major show in Chicago was cancelled due to a lack of ticket sales, which the singer blames on the “rumors.” In addition, his publicist and his attorney have both resigned in the last couple of weeks. The TimesUp movement has set up a separate campaign aimed at Kelly called the #MuteRKelly movement. The initiative, which released a press release on Monday, demands “appropriate investigations and inquiries” into the allegations of sexual abuse and sex slavery. Most of the accusers, reports the Huffington Post, are Black women. “To Our Fellow Women of Color: We see you. We hear you. Because we are you,” the Time’sUp statement reads. “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.” The organization called on people to join the campaign by tweeting their support using the hashtag #MuteRKelly, and urged companies such as Ticketmaster, Spotify and Apple Music to cut ties with Kelly. “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,” the statement reads. Some celebrities have publicly made known that they support the movements efforts to shine a spotlight on Kelly and cause law enforcement to investigate the claims against him, including popular firm producer Ava DuVernay, singer John Legend and actress Shonda Rhimes, among others.