Wendy Williams is backpedaling on her support for R. Kelly and her criticisms of the #MeToo movement after sponsors threatened to pull out of her daytime talk show.
Wendy has been vocal in recent months about the R&B singer’s slew of sexual misconduct allegations. Kelly also has two pending lawsuits from women who claim he infected them with STDs.
As noted by thejasminebrand.com, in May, Wendy revealed to her audience that she sat down with Kelly for an in-depth conversation at his home studio. She says he answered every question said she promised him not to spill the tea about their interview, but offered him the opportunity to come on to her show.
Williams then asked her audience if they would ‘be offended’ if she invited the singer on to her show and then publicly urged her management team to make it happen.
The following week, Wendy revisited the issue again, this time she placed blame on the parents of R. Kelly’s alleged victims.
“I know things about R. Kelly that I will take to my grave unless he tells them and I sit there and listen the way I did in the studio that night. But I will tell you this as a cautionary tale, parents, you need to watch who you let loose your girls around. These girls these days — a 15-year-old girl for damn sure looks 20. They carry themselves like they’re 22. They’re no longer just 15 and if you’re so desperate that you want your kids to be stars and you’re going to unleash your daughters to the world, you better watch what you get. This is not these girls just running away. There are parents who will gladly push their 15-year-old, lipgloss popping, booty popping and all that stuff, to the arms of an older man.”
Allegedly, sponsors aren’t happy.
In late May, a source says network executives called a meeting and told Wendy to dial back her support of R. Kelly.
“They were straight up. If you lose advertisers over this, it’s going to be a problem. So it’s time to take a different approach to R. Kelly before your talk show is gone and you’re having to go on the road and open up for him.”
“It’s already been a tough season for Wendy. The revelations of her husband’s affair caused major drama at the show. Her illness cost the show to lose money during her three weeks off, which is why Jerry O’Connell had to come in and guest host one week. Now, her supporting R. Kelly despite his history of questionable sexual misconduct in this day of reckoning for women is misguided and dangerous to the business of her show.”
It seems Wendy may have taken their advice. On her May 22 show, she said: “At this point, what do you say? R. Kelly is apparently guilty of a lot of things. The law just has to catch up to the accusations. You know what I mean? I think more girls will probably come out and tell their stories… I think there will be more.”
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