His unfiltered takes have often landed him in hot water and Isaiah Washington's comments about Aaliyah aren't any different. The beloved singer's reputation has been fiercely protected since her untimely passing in 2001. Her impact and influence are cemented in Hip Hop, R&B, and beyond, but her interactions with R. Kelly have cast a shadow over what she accomplished in her short life.
It has been well-documented that Aaliyah married Kelly when she was just 15 years old. He worked with the young teen on her Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number debut which was released when she was 14, but as her career progressed, she cut ties with the recording icon.
There have been alleged insiders who have detailed the relationship between Kelly and Aaliyah, especially as his ongoing court battles move forward. The disgraced hitmaker has recently been convicted of sex crimes and he has long withstood allegations of his dealings with minors.
Despite this, Isaiah Washington doesn't believe that Aaliyah was a victim, but a willing participant. He worked with Aaliyah on Romeo must Die and admitted to having a crush on her in an interview with VladTV.
"She was very in control of her being, but she was a businesswoman too. Super smart,” he said, before touching on her involvement with Kelly as a teen. “I think she was in control of that situation even at her age.”
“She was 15 going on 30, so she was in control of that whole situation,” he added. “I don’t judge her, but she was very smart and very mature and very in control of her situation. I don’t believe one minute that Aaliyah was made to do anything that Aaliyah didn’t want to do.”
Vlad would later mad=ke it clear that he did not agree with the Grey's Anatomy star's opinion of Aaliyah's victimhood.
Check out the clip below.
