Asante McGee has shed more light on the alleged abuse she endured at the hands of R. Kelly. And her account is stomach-churning.
The Georgia resident detailed her experience in a recent article by Teen Vogue. McGee claims she spent two years in the singer’s inner circle—a time in which she not only witnessed but suffered abuse.
“I saw a side of him abusing women mentally, physically and sexually. I knew at that point ... I had to go.” McGee told the publication. “This was not what I wanted, this is not how I should be treated, and no other woman should be treated that way […] There’s two parts of him. There’s R. Kelly and there’s Robert. Going in, I saw R. Kelly.”
McGee said she was introduced to Kelly at a 2013 show in Atlanta; however, the businesswoman claims her first sexual experience with the artist occurred in February 2014. The sexual encounter eventually led to a two-year relationship, in which Kelly allegedly controlled McGee. The businesswoman claimed she was flown all across the country to accompany Kelly on various tour stops; however, she was forced to stay in her hotel room to be “on-call.”
PerTeen Vogue: "She says she spent plenty of hours, days even, alone in a hotel room, passing time on the phone with friends, watching television and resting while waiting to be summoned for Kelly’s entertainment and sex. On some visits, that call never came."
McGee went on to describe several other instances of alleged sexual abuse and manipulation. She said as their relationship continued, the dynamic changed; Kelly appeared to trust her more and began introducing her to his “family,” which was a group of women he was “grooming.”
McGee said that soon after she began spending time among the “family,” she began to notice Kelly become increasingly angry and dictating. She claims the singer would verbally abuse her and controlled practically every move she and the other women made.
“If we wanted to go in the hallway, we knock on the wall and wait for permission. If I wanted to go to the kitchen, I gotta knock on the wall and wait for permission or wait for someone to say come in,” McGee said. “This one time, I knocked before going into a room and nobody answered, so I thought nobody was home and walked in and [Kelly] was in a corner with [a woman […] From then on, if I wanted to leave my room, I had to text him for permission. Every day he made up a new rule.”
McGee said she and the other “family” members weren’t allowed to shower unless given permission; they were also not allowed to eat unless Kelly gave the OK.
After two years, McGee finally decided enough was enough. In June 2016, one of her friends arrived at Kelly’s home posing as an Uber driver. McGee said she got in the car and never returned.
“I feel proud that I’m coming out. I’m disappointed, but I can’t be mad about the backlash I get,” McGee said about those who claim she is lying. “[…] People don’t realize the process and they think I’m just coming out. I was the first person [who had lived as part of Kelly’s alleged harem] to speak [to a reporter] on the record. When I left, my goal was to get the girls home to their parents. I never intended for it to go where it is.”
Kelly has consistently denied all allegations of sexual abuse.
You can read the full story at Teen Vogue’s website.
