R. Kelly just can’t catch a break these days. Ever since he found himself at the center of controversy amid recent “sex cult” rumors, things have been up and down for him. Unfortunately for Kellz, those allegations surfaced just as he was gearing up to kick off his current tour.
Although police have stated they’ve found no evidence of wrongdoing by Kelly regarding the ‘sex slave’ claims, the allegations have still led to a few small protests and boycotts that are said to have tanked some of his concert sales. The sales have reportedly declined so much, that R. was reportedly forced to cancel a number of tour dates. This week, R. Kelly announced his fifth cancellation for his upcoming show that was supposed to go down in Memphis, Tennessee and you can probably guess how he’s feelin’ right now.
The Latest Cancellation:
According to Variety, R. Kelly has released a statement through his rep and it’s quite obvious he isn’t too pleased with the way the tour has turned out. However, he isn’t blaming the sex cult rumors for the poor ticket sales. He’s actually blaming the promoter for the latest cancellation:
“After back-to-back sold out shows in Atlanta, GA and Pelham, AL, Mr. Kelly would have loved nothing more than to finish the @southerntakeover portion of his After Party Tour in Memphis, TN tonight. The decision to cancel the show was by the promoter, in breach of their agreement and out of Mr. Kelly’s control. He’s sorry his Memphis fans are disappointed and will do his best to make it up to them. Soon. As always, he thanks all of his fans for their support.”
Although R. Kelly blames the promoter for the recent cancellation, some reports still suggest that the cancellation centers around the “sex cult” allegations. For those who missed it, R. Kelly was accused of brainwashing young women and keeping them as “sex slaves.” Although one of the women recently spoke out and denied the allegations, Buzzfeed released a report detailing an interview with a 25-year-old woman who claims she was involved with R. Kelly when she was underage. The woman also said Kelly had stopped allegedly paying her money for her silence, but claims that had nothing to do with her coming forward now. The allegations are disturbing, but Kelly’s representatives released a statement denying them and also raising suspicions about the timing of the claims:
“The allegations against Mr. Kelly are false, and are being made by individuals known to be dishonest. It is clear these continuing stories are the result of the effort of those with personal agendas who are working in concert to interfere with and damage his career. Mr. Kelly again denies any and all wrong doing and is taking appropriate legal action to protect himself from ongoing defamation.”
It is unclear whether or not R. Kelly will be pursued with any legal charges for the latest accuser’s allegations. He has three tour dates still scheduled for the first week in October, but there’s no guarantee on ticket sales. Only time will tell.
