R. Kelly Addresses Sexual Abuse Allegations in Explosive Interview: “I Didn’t Do This Stuff!”

Almost two weeks after he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, singer R. Kelly is breaking his silence about his case. In an explosive interview with CBS This Morning‘s Gayle King, Kelly proclaimed his innocence, saying that the women profiled in Lifetime docu-series Surviving R. Kelly are “lying” about being abused by him. Kelly went on to say that allegations that he is “hold[ing] girls against their will” are “stupid” and untrue. “I didn’t do this stuff! This is not me!” he later told King, adding that he’s “fighting for [his] fucking life.”

When asked about why he wanted to do the interview, his first after pleading not guilty and posting a $100,000 bond, Kelly said that he’s “very tired of all of the lies.” He said that allegations that he has “little girls trapped in the basement” and has “a harem” bother him the most, but he insisted that they are false. “Have you broken any laws when it comes to women?” asked King. “Absolutely not,” replied Kelly.

Kelly went on to say that the seven women interviewed in Surviving R. Kelly, all of whom claim to have been abused and/or assaulted by the singer, are “lying” about him. “If you really look at that documentary, which I’m sure you have, everybody says something bad about me. Nobody said nothin’ good,” he said. “They was describing Lucifer. I’m not Lucifer. I’m a man. I make mistakes, but I’m not a devil, and by no means am I a monster.” King rightly pushed back on Kelly’s remarks. “Why would these women say the same thing about you? That you are controlling, that you are abusive, that you tell women when to eat, when to go to the bathroom, when they can sleep, where they can dress?” King said. “That defies logic to me.”

The singer attempted to answer King’s question by blaming “the power of social media,” but the CBS anchor wasn’t having it. “So they’re lying on you? That’s your explanation?” she asked. “Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely,” said Kelly. “I have been assassinated. I have been buried alive. But I’m alive.”

When King asked again about claims that Kelly has held people “against their will,” the singer began to get frustrated. “That’s stupid! Use your common sense,” he said, now visibly angry. “How stupid would it be for me, with my crazy past and what I’ve been through — oh right, now I just think I have to be a monster and hold girls against their will, chain them up in my basement, and don’t let them eat, don’t let them out, unless they need some shoes down the street from their uncle!”

King attempted to calm him down, but it didn’t work. “Quit playing! I didn’t do this stuff! This is not me! I’m fighting for my fucking life! Y’all killing me with this shit!” he screamed, standing up. “I gave you 30 years of my fucking career! 30 years of my career! And y’all trying to kill me? You killing me, man! This is not about music! I’m trying to have a relationship with my kids! And I can’t do it! Y’all just don’t want to believe the truth! You don’t want to believe it!”

Watch clips of Kelly’s emotional interview above. You can watch the interview in its entirety on CBS.

Where to stream CBS This Morning