R. Kelly was supposed to perform at the festival on August 29th, but now both the R&B singer and the festival have released a joint statement to Columbus Alive about his departure. The announcement came following weeks of public outcry over his scheduled appearance.
The Columbus-based folk rock group Saintseneca wrote on their website that R. Kelly’s inclusion in the lineup “ignores his very serious allegations of sexual violence and assault” and that they were choosing not to perform on the same bill as him. Additionally, the electro-pop group Damn the Witch Siren also dropped off the bill.
In a post on Twitter, the festival’s organizers announced they have “decided to part ways” with the controversial R&B star.
“There was a lot of back and forth on the criticism we did receive, but then also looking at [Kelly] as an artist,” a rep for the fest said. “Then truly the last few weeks…the festival has taken a lot of heat, and we really just wanted to listen to Columbus and really take a stance and move forward.”
Soon after announcing the troubled balladeer as a headliner, complaints poured in, mostly via social media, about his tumultuous legal history, particularly his 2002 indictment on 21 counts of making child pornography. Kelly was found not guilty of those charges in 2008. Jurors said they were convinced of Kelly’s role in sex tapes presented as evidence but could not be certain of the ages and identities of the female partners.
Kelly’s publicist also released a statement, saying, “R. Kelly is sorry to disappoint his fans but looks forward to seeing them in the near future during one of his upcoming tours.”
The Columbus Dispatch quoting festival spokesperson Melissa Dickson also spoke on the matter, “We wanted to make sure we heard the Columbus listeners… to make a statement and support the city we live in.”
