Amidst allegations of sexual abuse of multiple women and underage girls, embattled singer, R. Kelly has been banned from Philadelphia.
This is coming following the release of the much talked about Lifetime’s docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.” that details Kelly’s alleged long history of sexual misconduct.
It is gathered that the Philadelphia City Council voted unanimously to ban the singer from stepping foot in the city as part of Councilwoman Helen Gym’s “Mute R. Kelly” resolution, CBS Philly reports,
“We reject a system that silences black women and accepts black pain, Gym confirmed on Twitter. We believe survivors. R. Kelly is not welcome in Philadelphia. This symbolic act of solidarity puts all sexual predators on notice.”
She also told the Philadelphia Inquirer that,
“The resolution is about not accepting. It’s about being clear that we will not accept a future where rape is accepted, and rapists and sexual predators get away with their acts. I believe that R. Kelly and predators like him should be shamed and banished from the public sphere.”
CBS Philly further revealed that the resolution is only symbolic, as it is not enforceable and Kelly will not be arrested or physically removed from the city if he tries to perform or just stops by, but Gym sees the resolution as a statement letting the singer know that the city supports his survivors and condemns sexual abuse.
Ever since the release of the docuseries, the Grammy award-wining Kelly has insisted that he is innocent of the allegations levelled against him. It is also interesting to note that despite the allegations levelled against him, he has not been convicted of any sex crimes.