Activists call for R. Kelly's music to be muted

The Times's Up movement has publicly backed the #MuteRKelly campaign.

The gender equality movement joined the online campaign shortly after Bill Cosby was found guilty on three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting women last week. 

Time's Up, a movement founded by A-list Hollywood actresses to fight sexual harassment in the industry, says it is now time for R.Kelly to face the music. 

"The recent court decision against Bill Cosby is one step toward 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 behaviour," Women of Color of Time's Up said in an open letter.

The women are calling for the music industry to cut ties with R.Kelly, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault on several occasions. 

"Over the past 25 years, the man known publicly as R Kelly has sold 60m albums, toured the globe repeatedly and accumulated hundreds of millions of plays on radio and streaming services.

During this time, he also …

- Married a girl under 18 years of age;

- Was sued by at least four women for sexual misconduct, statutory rape, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and furnishing illegal drugs to a minor;

- Was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography;

- Has faced allegations of sexual abuse and imprisonment of women under threats of violence and familial harm," the letter read. 

The women have called on RCA Records to stop producing and distributing R.Kelly's music. They also urged music venues to cancel upcoming shows. 

Spotify and Apple Music have been asked to stop streaming the 'I Believe I Can Fly' hitmaker's songs.

The letter also demanded that all claims made against the singer are investigated.

"We demand appropriate investigations and inquiries into the allegations of R. Kelly's abuse made by women of colour and their families for over two decades now," the Women of Color of Time's Up wrote. 

The 51-year-old's management hit back at the letter,  calling it “public lynching”.

“We fully support the rights of women to be empowered and make their own choices. We will vigorously resist this attempted public lynching of a black man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture,” his management said in a statement.

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