In his first interview since being acquitted of child pornography charges, R. Kelly dismissed allegations that he ever preyed on young girls, saying in an interview: “I don’t like anyone illegal.” In the interview with Black Entertainment Television, Kelly said he was relieved when the trial was over, and that his upcoming album would feature less of the sexually charged material that has come to define his multiplatinum career.
“I’m really trying to make this album ... a little bit different,’’ he said in an interview that aired on BET on Tuesday.
“Take a little bit of the edge off, you know? And you know, clean up a few lyrics if I can, you know?’’ Kelly, 40, was acquitted in Chicago in June of multiple child pornography charges. The verdict ended a six-year saga that began when a videotape surfaced of a man looking like Kelly having sex with a girl believed to be as young as 13. Kelly denied he was the man in the videotape, and the girl in the video never testified.
Kelly spoke to the network for about a half-hour last week.
Though the interview did not specifically address the child pornography charges, Kelly was asked about the perception that he is attracted to young girls (Kelly was married to the late singer Aaliyah when she was 15, but the marriage was quickly annulled).
When asked if he liked teenage girls, Kelly replied: “When you say teenage, how — how old are we talkin’ ... 19?” “I have some 19-year-old friends,’’ he added. “But I don’t like anybody illegal, if that’s what we’re talking about, underage.’’ Kelly said he was worried that he might be convicted.
“But at the same time I was very prayerful,’’ he said. “Verdict day ... I couldn’t describe it and I wouldn’t wish it on — if I had a worst enemy, which I don’t.’’ When the not guilty verdicts were announced, Kelly said he felt relieved that he would be able to see his three children — two daughters and a son — once again.
“I couldn’t wait to get home to hug them and hold them,’’ he said.
Despite the charges Kelly faced, he still managed to maintain a successful career, notching several platinum albums and hits during that period. His new album, 12 Play 4th Quarter, is scheduled for the fall.
British pop star George Michael has been cautioned by police after being arrested in a public toilet in London in possession of drugs, police said late Saturday.
“A 45-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 19 on suspicion of possession of drugs in the Hampstead Heath area,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.
The singer was taken to a police station and given the caution for possessing class A and class C drugs, police said.
Under British law, class A drugs can include crack cocaine.
Michael, 45, has admitted using drugs in the past.
In 2006, he was found slumped over the wheel of his car and last year he was given a two-year driving ban after pleading guilty to driving while unfit through drugs.
Michael has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with seven US number one singles, 11 number one singles in Britain and six number one albums.
Last month he wrapped up his first tour for 15 years with concerts in London and Copenhagen and said they were his last ever arena and stadium shows.
On the tour, he wore a police uniform to perform his number one hit Outside which refers to his arrest in 1998 when he made lewd advances to an undercover male police officer in a public toilet in Beverly Hills, California.
Actor Ryan O’Neal and his son, Redmond, were arrested and charged with possessing methamphetamine on Wednesday following a search of their home, officials said. They were taken into custody at their home in Malibu after a predawn check by officers, said Sergeant Diane Hecht, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Actress Katie Holmes won praise for her debut on Broadway on Thursday night, where she was cheered on by actor husband Tom Cruise and shouted at by anti-Scientology protesters outside the theater. The drama started before the curtains went up in the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater with a group of about 20 protesters, some masked, chanting “Scientology is a cult” and “Free Katie,” according to the New York Daily News.
Feb. 17 to Feb. 23 “Japanese city is bombed,” screamed the banner in bold capital letters spanning the front page of the US daily New Castle News on Feb. 24, 1938. This was big news across the globe, as Japan had not been bombarded since Western forces attacked Shimonoseki in 1864. “Numerous Japanese citizens were killed and injured today when eight Chinese planes bombed Taihoku, capital of Formosa, and other nearby cities in the first Chinese air raid anywhere in the Japanese empire,” the subhead clarified. The target was the Matsuyama Airfield (today’s Songshan Airport in Taipei), which
On Jan. 17, Beijing announced that it would allow residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province to visit Taiwan. The two sides are still working out the details. President William Lai (賴清德) has been promoting cross-strait tourism, perhaps to soften the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) attitudes, perhaps as a sop to international and local opinion leaders. Likely the latter, since many observers understand that the twin drivers of cross-strait tourism — the belief that Chinese tourists will bring money into Taiwan, and the belief that tourism will create better relations — are both false. CHINESE TOURISM PIPE DREAM Back in July
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This was not supposed to be an election year. The local media is billing it as the “2025 great recall era” (2025大罷免時代) or the “2025 great recall wave” (2025大罷免潮), with many now just shortening it to “great recall.” As of this writing the number of campaigns that have submitted the requisite one percent of eligible voters signatures in legislative districts is 51 — 35 targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus lawmakers and 16 targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The pan-green side has more as they started earlier. Many recall campaigns are billing themselves as “Winter Bluebirds” after the “Bluebird Action”
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