This morning, R. Kelly’s interview with Gayle King aired on CBS — and it didn’t take long for people to react.
During the interview, Kelly opened up about the accusations against him, denying that he ever had sex with anyone underage, and denying that he was keeping women against their will.
The interview was meant to be Kelly’s chance to explain himself, but not everyone seems to have seen things the way he does.
The interview lasted 80 minutes, but CBS only aired some segments from the interview, including a moment where R. Kelly loses control, telling the viewers that he doesn’t deserve this treatment and that the women speaking out about him were all lying.
Some people were convinced that he actually made the situation worse for himself, saying that the way he acted during the interview was not the behavior of an innocent man.
He just made his self sound even worse ! Worse interviews I ever seen ?#rkellyinterview
— Jessica Peoples (@renee28429) March 6, 2019
#rkellyinterview there are innocent people who have been falsely accused of horrible things. This is not the behavior or response of a person that is innocent.
— MrsBundrige (@MrsBundrige) March 6, 2019
#RKelly had plenty of time to really get himself together when the first sex tape came out but he choose to keep living foul instead of seeking the proper help. karma hit him and now he wanna make a scene?? #rkellyinterview #SurvivingRKelly #GayleKing pic.twitter.com/qC8LH4dV28
— ?BeautifullyBlessed? (@GodBlessedme84) March 6, 2019
People also seized on how R. Kelly accused the parents of the two girls who are reportedly being kept captive of selling them to him.
He claimed that the parents of 23-year-old Joycelyn Savage and 21-year-old Azriel Clary left them at his concerts, so he could take care of them.
During the interview, viewers noticed that he essentially admitted to buying these girls from their parents, seemingly only making the case against him worst.
Wait a minute. If Robert Kelly is claiming parents sold their kids to him… is he really trying to defend himself by identifying as the buyer? You bought teenage girls, but it’s really their parents fault for selling them to you?? Smh. This is all bad. #rkellyinterview
— Briana Conner (@BrianaReports) March 6, 2019
He said "what type of parents sell their child to a man?" U basically just admitted to human trafficking #rkellyinterview
— Adrian (@MzAmor_LaHood) March 6, 2019
Throughout the interview, Kelly managed to keep his cool for most of the time, but when asked about the women who were accusing him of things including sex with minors, he lost it.
He got up from his chair, started crying, and the interview had to be stopped for a moment. Gayle King sat quietly throughout the interview, stone cold. She didn’t flinch when he got up and showed his anger.
Gayle you are holding court with this #rkellyinterview
— Dawn (@braidnfingerz1) March 6, 2019
Did y’all see .@GayleKing face?!? #CBSThisMorning #RKelly #rkellyinterview #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/VUvX4702LM
— John Paul (@Local24JohnP) March 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/geweyz/status/1103288917615431691
It also didn’t take long for people to start creating memes from the interview. Here are a few that materialised not long after the interview aired.
Come on with the memes ! ??? #rkellyinterview
— ???ℯ (@amilyanMiles) March 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/boredskorpian/status/1103290052833009665
Me, when R Kelly starts throwing a tantrum.#rkellyinterview pic.twitter.com/vuLFCbXUST
— Billie (@Billie_Jean00) March 6, 2019
R.Kelly the new Jordan Crying meme now….. pic.twitter.com/cNldViykfx
— OME23? (@OME23Y) March 6, 2019
Me going to school everyday ??#rkelly#rkellymemes pic.twitter.com/wC9zz69jaB
— #INDIGO ?✨ (@victoria8163164) March 6, 2019
Rent, electric, car, gas, water….. #RKelly #RKellyinterview #rkellymemes pic.twitter.com/0O1KPJL7NY
— Paco (@PacoRadioShow) March 6, 2019
#rkellymemes pic.twitter.com/siC3gBC7bg
— Chase Metcalf ? (@hashtagchase59) March 6, 2019
R. Kelly is due back in court in Illinois on March 22, 2019.