After Sex Abuse Allegations, Lady Gaga Apologises For Working With R Kelly

Lady Gaga is ashamed that once she had worked with R Kelly. She apologised to the women he has wronged. Her declaration came after Kelly was accused of violent and controlling behaviour by numerous women (some are even under the age of consent). He is also been accused of running what was termed as a “sex cult”.

A documentary, Surviving R Kelly, has revealed the darkest stories of Kelly's life, featuring testimonies from a number of women. Yesterday, it was reported that new abuse investigations were being launched by prosecutors in Chicago and Atlanta. Kelly has denied the accusations. Last year, he even went on to record a song defending his innocence.

The lyrics of the song goes: “I’m so falsely accused.”

Gaga, on the other hand, now regrets recording the duet Do What U Want with Kelly in 2013. She has now apologised for working with him, saying: “I’m sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner,” The Guardian reported. She promised to remove the songs from download and streaming services.

READ: Lady Gaga Opens Up About Dark Side Of Fame

“I stand behind these women 1,000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” she wrote on Instagram. “What I am hearing about the allegations against R Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible.”

Gaga described the song, whose chorus line goes, “You can’t have my heart and you won’t use my mind but / do what you want with my body”, was intended to “create something extremely defiant and provocative, because I was angry and still hadn’t processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life.”

At that time, she was referring to a sexual assault that she suffered. She describes her thinking at the time as “explicitly twisted” and a “confused post-traumatic state”.

Meanwhile, Soul singer John Legend appeared in the documentary, later tweeting: “To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn’t feel risky at all … Easy decision.”

In the documentary, John said, “We’re programmed to really be hypersensitive to black male oppression”, as a reason many chose to give Kelly the benefit of the doubt. He later added on Twitter: “I apologise to all his survivors for working with him.”

Also Read: Media and Sexism: It’s Not Just Megyn Kelly

Feature Image Credit: Billboard.com