R. Kelly Accuser Faith Rodgers Slams Bill Cosby's Publicist For "Railroaded" Remarks

BY Erika Marie 2.2K Views
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Gloria Allred
She testified at Kelly's trial and previously alleged that the singer gave her an STD, made her call him "daddy," and locked her in rooms for days.

One of the women who testified against R. Kelly has come forward to condemn Bill Cosby's publicist. Faith Rodgers was one of several women who shared their alleged stories on Surviving R. Kelly, and she would later go on to testify in front of a grand jury. She had previously told CBS that she and Kelly dated for a year, beginning the relationship when she was 19-years-old. She alleged that he made her call him "daddy," would lock her in rooms for extended periods of time, and accused him of giving her a sexually transmitted disease.

Rodgers held a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred and spoke out for the first time since Kelly was convicted on nine counts related to sex trafficking. During her statement, she condemned Cosby's publicist, Andrew Wyatt, for saying the singer was "railroaded."

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"To me, that is beyond insulting," she said. "After meeting R.Kelly when I was 19 years old, for that year and a half, he manipulated me for his own enjoyment and sexually abused me and tried to control me. When I made the choice to come forward with my story, he threatened me on multiple occasions, that if I continued to go forward with the telling of my truth, he would publish nude videos and pictures of me."

"Despite the threats, I continued to tell what happened to me and as a result, R. Kelly retaliated against me and published those photos," she claimed. "Even though he did this, I refused to back down and I still testified at trial. Rr. Kelly did receive a fair trial and he was convicted based on facts. He was not railroaded."

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Rodgers answered questions and shared that she hopes that Kelly will show remorse because "there was a lot of arrogance shown in the courtroom." Watch the clip of her press conference below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.