Jack Antonoff Says He Asked Label to Drop R. Kelly Several Times
LatestFor the past 17 years, singer R. Kelly has been accused of sexual misconduct against teenagers and creating teen pornography, keeping several women in a “cult,” and most recently “training” a 14-year-old girl to be his “pet,” according to a new BBC documentary. Through all this he has maintained his career signed to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music, which is also home to several other high-profile pop artists like Miley Cyrus, Zayn, and Jack Antonoff.
Antonoff wants RCA to drop R. Kelly, according to a tweet he posted and deleted Wednesday night. Billboard grabbed the tweet before it was deleted, which read: “I hope my label drops r kelly. I’ve discussed it with them a number of times.”
While R. Kelly has been slightly affected by recent allegations of sexual misconduct, including having to cancel shows on his last tour due to dismal ticket sales and protests against his performing, the singer still has a label deal. Much has been written about the lack of a #MeToo reckoning in the music industry and the same can be applied to R. Kelly, who, despite the mounting allegations, has not faced serious repercussions for them.
Jezebel has reached out to a representative for RCA for comment and will update this post when they respond.