Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for BET
The Women of Color within Time's Up have released an open letter supporting the existing online campaign to #MuteRKelly, Billboard reports. Citing the singer's allegations of sexual misconduct, statutory rape, imprisonment and sexual abuse of women, and indictments of child pornography, the established group within the larger Times Up collective stated that "we demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly’s abuse made by women of color and their families for over two decades now.”
The group also referred to Bill Cosby's guilty verdict, reached Thursday, writing "The recent court decision against Bill Cosby is one step towards addressing these ills but it is just a start. We call on people everywhere to join with us to insist on a world in which women of all kinds can pursue their dreams free from sexual assault, abuse and predatory behavior.”
Last week, he was dropped by his publicist, lawyer, and assistant. The open letter calls for RCA Records, Ticketmaster, Apple and Spotify, and Greensboro Coliseum Complex, where R. Kelly is performing on May 11, to "join us and insist on safety and dignity for women of all kind." Read the full letter here.