The horrible accusations — and now criminal charges — against R. Kelly have been a huge blow to his fans around the world. A few are, somehow, even still in his corner.
But don’t count Keke Palmer among them.
The singer-actress was mentored by Kelly early in her career, so you’d think she knew him well enough to have gotten a glimpse of his demons.
Related: Keke Palmer Reveals Her Abortion Story
But in an interview on Sunday night’s Watch What Happens Live, she opened up about how hard seeing the documentary Surviving R. Kelly — which laid out the various accusations and humanized those making them — was for her to watch:
“The whole thing was eye-opening, painful, sad, disappointing and heartbreaking.”
When Andy Cohen asked if she was surprised, Keke admitted:
“Yes, because that’s not the side I knew. That’s not the person that I worked with. That’s not the experience I had.”
Just think how many times we’ve heard that during the #MeToo movement and in years past as well.
People on the sidelines who weren’t the ones being harassed or molested or abused — who were right there and saw nothing. But that’s what happens we suppose. People hide their darkest selves — so when it’s revealed it’s a huge shock, even unbelievable.
As Keke continued:
“So, just imagine if you’re having a great experience with someone and then you’re hearing all this stuff it’s like, ‘Why didn’t you show them what you showed me?’ That’s the feeling I had.”
Why didn’t you show them?
Gurl, you have this all backwards. It’s not that there was actually a good person that was being hidden from all those young girls, Keke. There was a monster that was being hidden from YOU.
Look, we’re sure all these people who commit these horrible deeds have fantastic sides to them. Yes, Kevin Spacey is very good at acting, as Dame Judi Dench wants us to remember. But it obviously doesn’t change how we should view the accusations, does it?
Keke finished:
“I hated talking about it because I felt like, man, you were a friend to me but then I’m seeing you as a foe to others and I’m hurt for them. How do I feel about it? How do I put myself in this position now? It was very sad. I think that anybody that loved him as a person probably feels that way. That’s not something you want to hear about somebody that you cared for.”
This was not the first time Keke had spoken out.
As soon as she first watched the doc and her eyes were opened she was quick to change her tune on R. Kelly and take the side of the women.
In an emotional Instagram post, she wrote:
“Just finished Surviving R. Kelly and I have spent the last hour crying. As a student of R. Kelly’s for the time I was and having been around his light and understanding the obstacles he overcame as a child to actually be birthed into the musical genius he is today… All to put others through the same darkness he was running from is the most disheartening thing to accept. Many people experience hardships and do not allow themselves to find freedom through their passion enough to shine a light. R. Kelly received that grace from God. God blessed him to vindicate his childhood shortcomings and yet still he has slapped God in the face by his actions towards these women.”
We’re glad she isn’t one of those people who choose to defend the person they know, just because they didn’t see the darkness.
She may be heartbroken, but she’s on the right side.
[Image via Judy Eddy/JLN Photography/WENN.]
-
Categories
