In wake of what she called “deeply disturbing” allegations chronicled in a new series surrounding hip hop star R. Kelly, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on Tuesday encouraged potential victims to come forward.
In wake of what she called "deeply disturbing" allegations chronicled in a new series surrounding hip hop star R. Kelly, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx on Tuesday encouraged potential victims to come forward.
"We cannot do anything related to these allegations without the cooperation of these victims," Foxx said in a press conference.
Foxx noted her office is "in the process of trying to get information" and has been in contact with Chicago police and families who documented concerns surrounding a relative's contact with the rapper.
"I am here today to encourage victims of sexual assault or domestic violence related to these allegations to please get in touch with our office," she said. "Please come forward."
The six-part series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which describes decades of Kelly’s alleged sexual misconduct, aired last week on Lifetime. It features multiple women who have accused Kelly of sexual, mental, and physical abuse and includes interviews with Kelly’s brothers, the founder of the #MeToo movement, talk-show host Wendy Williams and singer John Legend.
"I was sickened by the allegations," Foxx said. "I was sickened as a survivor, I was sickened as a mother, I was sickened as a prosecutor."
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Chicago police said they have no current complaints open against Kelly.
"We also visited a location depicted in the documentary on the West side that was allegedly a recording studio of R. Kelly but that was unfounded - the building was vacant," department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
Kelly has previously denied any misconduct regarding accusations of sexual abuse, even detailing the claims in a song released last year.
The embattled entertainer has long been accused of behavior that has ranged from questionable to potentially criminal. He was accused of child pornography after a widely circulated videotape appeared to show him having sex with, and urinating on, a teenage girl. He was acquitted of all charges in 2008 and continued to rack up hits and sell out stadiums around the country.
Kelly, 51, is one of pop music's best-selling artists and his hits include "Ignition," ''I Believe I Can Fly," ''Step in the Name of Love" and "Bump N' Grind." He has also written hits for artists ranging from Celine Dion to Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga.
In April, Kelly's concert in his hometown of Chicago was canceled around the time the Times' Up campaign took aim at the singer over the latest allegations. Weeks later, Spotify removed his music from its playlists, citing its new policy on hate content and hateful conduct.
In May, a woman filed a lawsuit against Kelly, accusing the singer of sexual battery, knowingly infecting her with herpes and locking her in rooms for punishment.
Steven Greenburg, Kelly's attorney, told NBC 5 in a phone interview there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.
"There's not gonna be any physical evidence, no confirmatory evidence," he said. Because they want 15 minutes of fame and she's (Foxx) encouraging that."
He said Foxx's call for alleged victims to come forward was "unprecedented."
"People know how to call the cops," Greenburg said. "People call 911. Nobody's done that because nothing has happened."
Since the docuseries was released, numerous celebrities have spoken out against Kelly.
After the first episode aired, Legend tweeted on Friday, "To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn't feel risky at all. I believe these women and don't give a f--- about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision."
Chance the Rapper issued an apology for working with Kelly after a clip of an interview with him appeared in the new series.
Chance, who did not participate in the docu-series, wrote on Twitter Saturday that the quote used in the episode “was taken out of context.”
“But the truth is any of us who ever ignored the R Kelly stories, or ever believed he was being setup/attacked by the system (as black men often are) were doing so at the detriment of black women and girls,” he wrote. “I apologize to all of his survivors for working with him and for taking this long to speak out.”
NBC News reached out to Kelly’s representatives about the series and they said they had no comment. NBC Chicago also reached out to Lifetime for comment but has not heard back.
Foxx said victims of sexual assault or domestic violence can contact their local police department or call the state's attorney's office at (773) 674-6492.
