R Kelly whose career is reeling from the longstanding sexual-misconduct allegations presented in Lifetime’s harrowing documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” has announced a tour to Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, prompting concern from members of the public.
The tour, which was announced in social media posts from the singer comes in the wake of an explosive documentary detailing allegations that the artist has been sexually and physically abusing women for decades. R Kelly has denied the allegations, and has faced no criminal convictions.
No dates or venues were listed — simply that the tour is “coming soon” — but the promoter is a Melbourne, Australia-based entertainment company called Flamingo Dreamz (formerly known as Sin City) that in the past has promoted tours in the region by Ja Rule (whose career is also facing challenges connected to his executive-producer role in the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival), Ciara, rapper Twista, DJ Erick Morillo and others.
Kelly has two tour dates in Germany scheduled for April, which are promoted by the German company live-entertainment and ticketing company Eventim.
Multiple detailed allegations of sexually abusive behaviour by Kelly toward young women date back more than 20 years; the singer was charged with child pornography in 2000 after a video surfaced that purported to show him having sex with an underage woman, but the woman refused to testify and he was acquitted in 2008. Regardless, the outcry that followed “Surviving R. Kelly” — which placed the accusations into stark relief — was strong enough to lead his longtime record label, RCA, to part company with him on Jan. 18 (RCA did not make a public announcement about the move, although it removed Kelly from its website on that day).
The Australian shadow minister for immigration and border protection, Shayne Neumann, has said the Labor party would be “seriously concerned” if Kelly was allowed into the country.
SOURCES: VARIETY and The Guardian
