The Grio
Did Terry Crews Forget Mike Tyson Was Convicted Of Rape Or Does Mr. #MeToo Not Care?
With the increased visibility of his profile, Terry Crews has a responsibility to tightly manage his public associations and endorsements. By agreeing to be a guest on Mike Tyson’s show, Crews brought value and views to a platform that directly benefits an abusive man and undermined his credibility as an advocate for women. We can only hope he’ll be more thoughtful with his choices in the future.
Parents Of Girls Currently In The Alleged “Sex Cult” Speak Out
The documentary’s most bizarre choice however is to feature the testimony of known abusers as counter voices to R. Kelly. Rapper and podcaster Joe Budden was accused of causing his ex-girlfriend to miscarry due to his abuse and radio personality Charlamagne Tha God has admitted to having sex with a nearly unconscious woman and has made questionable statements about his first sexual encounter with his wife.
How the “Pied Piper of R&B” Continue Making Hits During His Child Pornography Trial
R. Kelly’s trial and subsequent acquittal demonstrated that his adoring public was also complicit in his abuses. R. Kelly was free to continue abusing women and girls because the gatekeepers who should have acted as a check on his behavior, chose instead to look the other way in service of their bottom line. Every dollar spent on an R. Kelly record was money that was funneled towards maintaining the stranglehold he had on the young girls unlucky enough to become involved with him.
‘Surviving R. Kelly’: The good, The bad, And The Really, Very Ugly
The trauma left in Kelly’s wake is evident in the people who are still coping with his influence on their lives. It is not simply that Kelly abused women and girls, but that he made others complicit in his crimes by “using the promise of a career as a lure” according to journalist Toure. With his notoriety and established record of success, the girls who entered his orbit all felt as though the risk was worth the reward, only to find themselves consumed by the whims of a controlling man who dictated every aspect of their lives, and made them active participants in each other’s degradation.