R. Kelly’s new sit-down with Gayle King on CBS This Morning has lit the digital forum aflame. Aside from Kelly’s own waterworks meltdown and repeated claims that he didn’t commit any of the underage sexual abuse crimes that have been brought against him, one of the many mind-blowing moments came when he described how he ended up with some of the alleged victims (who he considers his “girlfriends”). In the interview, Kelly claimed that some parents, like those of Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, “gifted” their daughters over to him.
However, before the interview even aired in its entirety, Azriel Clary’s parents, Alice and Angelo Clary, released a statement of their own through their attorney, Michael Avanetti. They cautioned those who may watch the interview to believe the victims and their parents, and to know up front that Kelly is a “liar” and “manipulator.”
“We love our daughter Azriel very much and we miss her. Azriel has suffered severe mental abuse at the hands of R. Kelly for years,” the statement read. “She is likely also suffering from symptoms similar to those found with Stockholm Syndrome. R. Kelly is a liar, manipulator and sociopath who must be brought to justice for his decades of sexual assaults on underage girls. All of these victims and their parents cannot be lying.”
Here is a statement from my clients Alice and Angelo Clary in advance of the @CBSThisMorning @GayleKing interview with R Kelly airing tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/fnnNp93RgP
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) March 6, 2019
The rest of the emotional interview will air tomorrow.