R. Kelly Opens Up About Childhood Sexual Abuse

In an exclusive interview with GQ magazine, troubled singer/songwriter R. Kelly opened up about the sexual abuse he says he suffered as a child.

Kelly, 49, says he believes the sexual abuse he suffered as a child may have contributed to later accusations of child molestation.

In his 2012 memoir, Soulacoaster, Kelly described being molested by a woman. But he never revealed the woman to be a family member until now.

He said the abuse started when he was “about 7 or 8 to maybe 14, 15.” The abuse began as oral sex and then progressed to sexual intercourse, he said.

“I remember it feeling weird. I remember feeling ashamed. I remember closing my eyes or keeping my hands over my eyes,” he said. “I remember those things, but couldn’t judge it one way or the other fully.”

Kelly said over time he began looking forward to the abuse.

“Over time, yeah. I remember actually, after a couple of years, looking forward to it sometimes. You know, acting like I didn’t, but did.”

Kelly, who was born Robert Sylvester Kelly, said he was also offered money to perform oral sex on an older man. But he rebuffed the man’s advances.

In 2002, Kelly denied he was the man seen in a viral video engaging in graphic sex acts with an underage girl. In 2003 he was charged with sexual conduct with a minor and other charges involving the same girl seen in the video.

A Chicago jury acquitted Kelly of all charges on June 13, 2008.

Mental health experts say children who suffer childhood sexual abuse often grow up to become the abusers themselves.

Studies have found a link between childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual disorders such as homosexuality, transgenderism and serial rape.