Good Morning Britain: Drea Kelly, Ex-Wife R Kelly, Shares Response To Sex Abuse Trial

Drea Kelly has spoken out following the news that her ex-husband, R Kelly, has been convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.

Speaking to Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain, Drea said it was “great” that the singer, real name Robert Kelly, had been found guilty – but said wider societal change was needed to ensure more abuse survivors can come forward.

You can watch the video below:

Drea, real name Andrea, was married to R. Kelly from 1996 to 2009. In 2018, Drea claimed on The View that she had been emotionally and physically abused by Kelly throughout their marriage.

“In a way it does and in a way it doesn’t [release a weight on me]”, Drea explained on ITV.

“It’s great that we’ve taken a step forward, but it’s what’s happening outside of the courtroom that is most important, that women feel they are supported to have the strength to come forward and tell their stories.

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“If there’s still victim shaming and victim blaming, and women even being afraid to speak their truth, we can never get to a court system where justice can be served, so we have to start there first.

“Women, children and even men, because they can be victims of domestic violence, need to be able to feel supported by society to come forward and tell their stories. That’s when justice is really going to be served.”

R Kelly had pleaded not guilty of all charges against him, but did not take the stand in the high-profile court case.

But a jury of seven men and five women found him guilty of racketeering in a verdict announced Monday.

The charges were based on an argument that the entourage of managers and aides who helped the singer meet girls — and keep them obedient and quiet — amounted to a criminal enterprise.

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Several accusers testified in lurid detail during the trial, alleging that Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage.

Assistant US Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez argued that Kelly was a serial abuser who “maintained control over these victims using every trick in the predator handbook”.

The defence labelled the accusers “groupies” and “stalkers”.

Topics: Celebrity, Music, TV And Film, Good Morning Britain

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley