Content warning: this article discusses alleged sexual abuse and assault
Alleged sexual abuser and R&B singer R. Kelly has officially announced an Australian tour for 2019, in the midst of a whirlwind of accusations of assault and abuse levelled against him.
A multitude of women have come out and spoken about the alleged abuse and assault Kelly reportedly committed against them, which came to a head upon the release of the widely acclaimed and provoking documentary ‘Surviving R. Kelly.’
This tour was officially announced via Kelly’s Twitter earlier this morning, though no dates or venues were given. In case you were wondering, the company bringing the tour here is Flamingo Dreamz, which you can contact here if you felt so inclined.
This announcement also comes after a ‘fake’ R. Kelly tour was announced, and then cancelled earlier this year due to the controversy around the artist.
Australia has been pretty harsh on artists touring that are embroiled in controversy. Tyler, The Creator is infamously banned from the country after 2013 following questionable lyrics he wrote when he was a teenager.
So, following that same standard, it’d be hard to believe Australia would let Kelly into the country, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Update 07/02/19: R. Kelly Deletes Post About Upcoming Australian Tour
Australia wouldn’t be the first to ban Kelly, after the entire city of Philadelphia effectively banned the singer as part of the #MuteRKelly movement. On top of that, artists like Lady Gaga and Chance The Rapper have removed their collaborations with Kelly from all streaming services.
If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732.
https://twitter.com/rkelly/status/1092826186281975808
