R. Kelly is to Blame for R. Kelly

Words like “complicity” and “enabling” are constantly being thrown around in the face of the undeniably heinous allegations against R. Kelly. If you listened to his music after his proclivities became public knowledge, you’re complicit in his behavior. If you ever made a song with him, toured with him, stood in public with him or praised him, you enabled him. All the record execs, those in his inner circle like his staff, peers, friends and family who knew of his perversions are to complicit and enabled him. While there’s truth that a lot of people didn’t call him out on his bad behavior, at the end of the day, R. Kelly is to blame for R. Kelly.

Kelly’s abuse to girls and young women has been documented for years. In fact, he even went to trial for the sex tape with the underage girl. Even though he was acquitted, you would think the R. might would pause, reflect and attempt to change his behavior. He faced serious legal consequences, a possible prison sentence, a permanent stain to his reputation and public ridicule. For a normal person, that might be enough to make them stop and take stock of their life. But, something about R.’s pathology, power, money and influence kept him believing that he was above the law, and these females weren’t victims, but instead they were his conquests to do what he pleased, when he pleased.

Of course, in light of #MeToo and #TimesUp, the microscope is hovering over R. Kelly right now, but instead of keeping the focus on Kelly, the microscope is scanning over the masses. Perhaps instead of spending time talking about who could’ve done what and when, maybe we need to think about the fact that R. Kelly shouldn’t have acted out his sick desires on minors or women without their consent. R. Kelly should’ve been an adult and stayed away from minors. R. Kelly should’ve treated females with respect. R. Kelly should’ve kept his hands and all his body parts to himself. If R. Kelly can’t even survive R. Kelly, how can the rest of us?