On Thursday, “CBS This Morning” unveiled a second part of the 80-minute interview with R. Kelly, who told Gayle King he only has $350,000 in his bank account as he faces multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
During the exchange, which can be viewed below, R. Kelly, 52, claimed he went to the bank by himself for the first time three weeks ago as he was “tired” of not knowing where his money was or where it was going. He said it was there a teller informed him he only had $350,000 in his account.
“Here’s the deal: So many people have been stealin’ my money,” he explains, accusing the culprits of being those who had access to his account.
King asked Kelly if paying out settlements for sexual misconduct affected his financial situation, and Kelly said those claims were “lies.” Court documents obtained by the network revealed that he paid out at least three women who claimed the singer had sex with them when they were minors.
Kelly said that what really cost him was his associates taking his money. He also stated he started a new bank account upon learning of his depleting funds.
He was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse shortly thereafter, according to CBS.
The network’s airing of the second part of the interview also comes a day after Kelly was rearrested for nonpayment of child support. At the time, Kelly was out on bail for the sexual abuse charges but ordered to remain jailed Wednesday until he completely pays the $160,000 child support owed to second ex-wife, Andrea Lee.
Lee and Kelly share three children: Joann, 21, Jay, 19, and Robert, 17. Lee appeared on Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” and accused her ex-husband of abuse.
Kelly got emotional about the child support situation and his strained relationship with Lee and their children while speaking with King.
“How can I pay child support? How?” he tearfully asks. “If my ex-wife is destroying my name and I can’t work. How can I work? How can I get paid? How can I take care of my kids?”
“Use your common sense!”
The singer’s publicist told “Entertainment Tonight” that the judge rejected his offer to pay $50,000 to $60,000 and enter a payment plan.
“He was disappointed. He felt rejected. He was down. You could see the air go out of him. He never expected that. He was never looking forward to that. He never knew that was coming,” the publicist said.
Kelly’s next court date is scheduled for March 13
[Featured Image: R. Kelly/”CBS This Morning” YouTube video screengrab]
