R. Kellyis under fire — and along with the scandal surrounding the sexual abuse allegations against him comes renewed focus on his collaborations with other stars over the years.
On Wednesday,Lady Gaga— who worked with Kelly, 52, on her 2013 single “Do What U Want” — broke her silence on the scrutiny Kelly is facing in the wake of the Lifetime docuseries,Surviving R. Kelly, which features interviews with women who claim that for decades the hit-making singer and producerused his power and influence to sexually and physically abuse womenand young girls.
“I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously,” said Gaga, 32 on her Instagram Stories.
“What I am hearing about the allegations against R Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible,” she added, going on to describehow being sexually assaulted at age 19informed her mindset when she worked with Kelly in her mid-20s.
Anthony Harvey/Getty; Bennett Raglin/WireImage; Todd Williamson/Getty
Representatives for Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, responded “no comment” to PEOPLE’s request for a response to the allegations made inSurviving R. Kellyand interviews with alleged victims in last week’s issue of PEOPLE.
R. Kelly and Lady Gaga.Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Gaga is among several superstars who have recorded with Kelly — from 1992 to 2017, the musician once crowned the King of R&B collaborated on more than 100 tracks with other performers, includingJustin Bieber(“PYD” in 2013),Ja RuleandAshanti(“Wonderful” in 2004).
He shares the most songs withJAY-Z, with whom he worked on the 2002 studio albumThe Best of Both Worlds.
Céline Dion.Jason Merritt/Getty
As for his most successful collaboration, look no further thanCéline Dion‘s “I’m Your Angel,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 — a feat Kelly has only accomplished with one other song, “Bump N’ Grind,” released in 1994. On Monday,TMZ reportedthat Dion, 50, was in the process of having the song removed from all music services — the video has already been removed.
RELATED VIDEO: R. Kelly’s Brothers Break Their Silence in New Documentary Alleging His Abuse Spans Decades
Below is a complete list of Kelly’s collaborations over the years.
R. Kelly’s lawyerhas denied the allegationsmade in Lifetime’s documentary. In an interview with theAssociated Presson Friday, Chicago-based attorney Steve Greenberg called the documentary “disgusting” and claimed that producers told “disgruntled” women incriminating things to say about Kelly off camera in an effort to incriminate the Grammy winner.
Producers of the film, however, denied these allegations. “We are enormously proud of the series. The powerful stories from the women in the documentary speak for themselves,” they previously said in a statement to PEOPLE. “Their honesty and candor has resonated with millions of viewers.”
If you or someone you know think they are being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now for anonymous, confidential help, available 24/7.
source: people.com
