Did R. Kelly sexually abuse women? The Gayle King interview.
In February 2019, R&B singer R. Kelly was arrested and charged with sexually abusing four women, three of them underage. In early March 2019, he gave his first interview since his arrest to Gayle King with CBS. Here is an excerpt from the interview.
King: "What are the lies you are hearing that disturb you most?"
Kelly: "Oh my God, um, all of them. Um, that little girls trapped in the basement. Helicopters over my house um, trying to um, rescue someone that
doesn't need rescuing because they're not in my house. Handcuffing people. Starving people. I have a harem. Ah, whatcha call it? a cult.
I don't really know what a cult is but I know I don't have one you know."
Order is important. When asked what lies disturb him the most, Kelly listed them in the following order.
1. Little girls are trapped in his basement.
2. Helicopters are over his house.
3. Rescuing someone who doesn't need rescuing.
4. Handcuffing people.
5. Starving people.
6. He has a harem.
7. He has a cult.
Kelly is charged with ten counts of felony sexual abuse. Apparently, those ten charges are not lies as Kelly doesn't mention them. The number one lie to him is that little girls are trapped in his basement.
Kelly used the word really, "I don't really know what a cult is but I know I don't have one you know." The shortest sentence is the best sentence. The use of the word really indicates he does know what a cult is. The same thing applies to the phrase you know. He may have used this phrase because he wants us to assume he doesn't know what a cult is.
When King asked Kelly if he ever had sex with an underaged girl, he denied it. This is how I have always seen it reported.
King: "Have you ever had sex with anyone under the age of 17?"
Kelly: "No."
King: "Have you ever had sex—"
Kelly: "No."
King: "—with anyone under the age of 17?"
Kelly: "No."
Kelly said "No" before the question was asked. He was anticipating the question. This weakens his denial.