By Karu F. Daniels, The Root
Joycelyn Savage, the girlfriend of R. Kelly who has been widely regarded as his “sex slave,” is telling her story—through a digital crowdfunding platform.
The 24-year-old Atlanta native has been a staunch defendant of the Grammy Award-winning crooner, currently in prison on allegations of enticing minors to engage in criminal sexual activity, racketeering and producing and receiving child pornography.
Savage was one of two women described as “live-in girlfriends,” interviewed by Gayle King on CBS This Morning in March.
Now the woman in red (during the aforementioned interview) appears to have turned on the “Bump n’ Grind” singer, who her family consistently insisted has been controlling her for years.
“I am 24 years old, at 23 years old was really was a breaking point for me I was forced to do a lot of things,” she wrote on her Patreon account, in which memberships range from $3-$25 for varying levels of content.
“I am here to tell my story I will reveal information/secrets I’ve been sweared [sic] to not ever bring to light but I am willing to risk it all.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Nl-pTFbNQ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Savage is now accusing the singer of being controlling and manipulative and promises to deliver a daily dose of drama for people who are interested in ponying up the coins to hear more about her experience with Kelly.
“This is my story on Mr. Kelly. Become a patron above and view my story, and see what I’ve been going through these past years.”
In her first post: “Where It All Started,” Savage offers an explanation of how she met Kelly at age 19 and he began to give her gifts, spend money on travel and promise her a music career, CNN reported.
Months later, she writes, he started “giving [her] commands” to call him “Master” or “Daddy” and if she didn’t obey him, he would raise his voice at her.
“Robert likes to manipulate whoever he’s was in the room with even down to his own assistant. He didn’t care, everyone was in it for a check so they didn’t care either,” she said.
This is a common narrative that was brought forth during January’s Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, in which numerous women alleged being sexually, mentally and emotionally abused by the former Jive Records superstar.
The explosive, award-winning dream hampton-produced television event put Kelly under renewed scrutiny, leading Chicago authorities to charge him with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse in February, and 11 new counts of sexual abuse in May. In July, federal prosecutors in Chicago and New York levied 18 counts against the singer, alleging that Kelly has abused women and girls for two decades, for a period that spans from 1998 to 2018.
Throughout it all, Kelly has maintained his innocence.
On Saturday, his defense attorney Steven L. Greenberg responded to Savage’s claims in a statement to Variety calling it “unfortunate” that she “seeks to make money by exploiting her long time, loving relationship with Robert.”
“Obviously if she were to tell the truth no one would pay so she has, unfortunately, chosen to regurgitate the stories and lies told by others for her own personal profit,” Greenberg added.
“We know the real facts, and it was not until the money ran out that she decided anything was wrong. Hopefully, people will see it for the obvious profiteering it is.”
This article originally appeared in The Root.